NORTHVILLE, MICH. — Radio-focused mobile strategy and development firm jācapps, born by longtime Detroit-based broadcasting consultant Fred Jacobs, says it is moving “to make sure AM stations can easily get their streams on smartphones, tablets, and into cars.”
Only, it is not saying that direct accessibility of kHz-based signals in a vehicle is necessary.
Rather, jācapps believes AM’s survival on the road is through an app tied to data, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — and a cost to the user — the solution.
Introducing the jācapps Essential app, which the firm calls “a simplified version” of its V5 mobile app platform for radio and podcasters.
As the company explains, “In this new product, stations get a basic but branded mobile app with all the ‘essential’ features needed for AM radio stations to remain vital and competitive in cars: a stream, a podcast feed, and, most importantly, support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, all rolled into a branded app. This new, low-cost product is being offered without a set-up fee, for just a low monthly maintenance fee all broadcasters can afford to ensure the app experience is as strong as possible as operating systems change.”
For the consumer, however, it sends the message that kHz-based access in a truck, van, car, coach, camper or anything else with wheels and a gas tank is a thing of the past — despite all of the chatter about how essential it is, in particular in rural parts of the nation where data and cell phone service remains scant.
“The big story in 2023 is the volatile state of the car dashboard, especially for AM broadcasters. jācapps has come up with a cost-effective solution for AM stations that need to remain competitive and vital,” said Fred Jacobs, jācapps’ co-founder and president of Jacobs Media.
COO Bob Kernen added, “jācapps has always worked to provide the radio industry a best-in-class mobile solution that meets its unique needs and pushes it into the digital/mobile future. And in this uncertain time for AM stations, we are committed to providing broadcasters a cost-effective way to insure they’re heard no matter what the auto industry does at a price point they can manage.”
While jācapps says the Essential app “will help stations of any size put their content where their audience spends most of their time – on their iPhone or Android smartphone – while staking out real estate in the central venue for radio, the car dashboard,” it runs counter to the legislative action in Congress, fueled by the NAB, that will keep AM radio in vehicles as a no-cost option free of data accessibility restraints.
