SCOTUS To Hear Nielsen-Comulus Dispute In Weeks

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider on Nov. 13 whether to take up Nielsen’s antitrust appeal against Cumulus Media, a case that challenges a lower court ruling preventing Nielsen from requiring broadcasters to buy local radio ratings in order to access its full national ratings service. The justices could agree to hear the case, deny review, or delay a decision, with an announcement possible shortly after the conference.

The dispute stems from a July decision by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld a preliminary injunction against Nielsen’s ratings sales policy. The injunction bars Nielsen from tying access to its nationwide ratings to the purchase of local ratings services and prohibits the company from charging commercially unreasonable prices for standalone national ratings.

Agenda Preview: CRS 2027 to Spotlight Radio’s Future

Country Radio Seminar has unveiled an early look at its CRS 2027 agenda, featuring general sessions focused on music discovery, audience measurement, transparency, career transitions, and the evolving ways the industry gauges artist and radio success. The event, set for March 17-19 in Nashville, will also include a new four-part “Cycle of a Song” series and the return of its popular label luncheons.

Among the featured sessions, “Fundamentals of Finding Music” will examine radio’s unique role in breaking artists and building fans, while “The New Radio Scoreboard: Measuring Success With or Without Ratings” explores how stations can evaluate performance beyond traditional ratings metrics. Other sessions include “Life After Layoff,” featuring professionals who share their career journeys after workforce reductions, and “Certified Human: Trust & Transparency,” which focuses on the role transparency plays in maintaining listener, advertiser, and industry confidence. “Beyond Vanity Metrics” will bring together industry leaders to discuss how radio, streaming, social media, and fan engagement data can provide a more complete picture of audience growth.

The new “Cycle of a Song” series will follow music from creation to airplay, highlighting the writers, artists, labels, and radio partners involved in developing careers and hit records. Sessions include a look at Drew Baldridge’s path to a No. 1 hit with “She’s Somebody’s Daughter,” a discussion on women’s impact across the industry, an exploration of artist development and career-building strategies, and a songwriter-focused panel on the craft and business of hit-making.

CRS 2027 will also bring back its daily luncheon showcases, featuring Warner Records Nashville, Team MCA at the Ryman, and Big Machine Records’ Friday finale. Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley will return as a centerpiece event, offering additional live music performances and networking opportunities.

The seminar will take place March 17-19 at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Organizers are also offering a one-day Fall Sale on Oct. 29, providing a 10% discount on the current three-day registration rate at CountryRadioSeminar.com.

SiriusXM Reports Revenue Wobbles Lower, Subs Remain Flat

Sirius XM Holdings reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of $2.15 billion, down slightly from a year earlier mainly because of lower equipment sales tied to higher memory costs. Net income rose 7% to $317 million, while earnings per diluted share fell 7% to $0.78 from $0.84, reflecting the accounting treatment of convertible notes, including fair-value adjustments and assumed dilution.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 3% to $694 million, and the margin expanded one percentage point to 32%. The gains came from stable revenue and tighter expense control, including lower programming costs, more automation in customer care, and reduced sales and marketing spending. Free cash flow climbed 14% to $293 million, helped by higher adjusted EBITDA, favorable working capital, lower interest expense, and reduced capital expenditures.

The company raised its full-year financial guidance, citing progress in stabilizing the subscriber base, improving engagement, and growing its advertising platform.

“Our third-quarter performance reflects the progress we're making in building a stronger, more durable SiriusXM,” CEO Jennifer Witz said. She pointed to deeper subscriber engagement through differentiated content, expanded advertising reach via partnerships such as YouTube Audio, and greater long-term value from enhanced subscription offerings."

Average listening time rose about 5% year over year across all subscriber tenure groups. Year-to-date app trends are on pace for the highest average listening time and most active days per listener since the current app launched in late 2023. Exclusive programming included the Dolly Parton Tribute Channel, which became the year’s most-listened-to artist pop-up channel, along with performances by Shania Twain and John Mayer and special programming featuring Billy Joel and Talking Heads. “Life with John Mayer” ranked as the top streamed artist channel.

SiriusXM Delivers The Soundtrack To The Holidays

SiriusXM is making spirits bright with the return of its beloved holiday music lineup, bringing the sounds of the season to listeners with 25 handcrafted festive channels. From traditional holiday staples to seasonal hits, this year's lineup has something for everyone, including Hallmark Radio, Trans-Siberian Orchestra Radio, Mannheim Steamroller Channel and more. The most wonderful time of the year starts Monday, November 2 on SiriusXM, with many channels launching in-car and streaming on the SiriusXM app.

SiriusXM's highly anticipated holiday lineup brings nonstop cheer to listeners with a merry mix of festive music curated by fan-favorite personalities and brands that bring the magic of the season to life. From timeless holiday classics and traditional Christmas carols to Radio Hanukkah and genre-specific channels featuring holiday pop, country Christmas, seasonal soul and more, SiriusXM has the perfect hand-picked soundtrack for every holiday moment.

TV Ratings: Fox News Channel Notches Week-to-Week Growth

• FNC Leads All of Cable in Total Day with Total Viewers for 41st Consecutive Week
• CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ Posts Lowest-Rated Episode of the Season, Draws Smallest 6th-Episode Audience Since the Year 2000

FOX News Channel (FNC) concluded the week of October 19th with 2.1 million weekday primetime viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel. In Monday – Sunday primetime, FNC landed 1.7 million viewers.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

 In Monday – Sunday total day, FNC averaged 1.2 million viewers, notching week-to-week growth in both total viewers and the 25-54 demo. FNC also led all of cable in total day with total viewers for the 41st consecutive week. Markedly, on October 25th, CBS’ 60 Minutes posted its lowest-rated episode of the season and smallest 6th-episode audience since the year 2000, delivering 5.6 million total viewers and 586,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo.

FNC Continues As No.1 Cable Network In Primetime Viewers

• FNC is Pacing to be Highest Rated Midterm Year with Total Day Viewers
• The Network Notches 99 of the top 100 Cable News Telecasts in October
• FOX News Drives Nearly 1 Billion More YouTube Video Views than Any Other News Brand
• ‘CBS Mornings’ and '60 Minutes' Each Post Lowest-Rated October in History with Viewers
• MS NOW Racks up 12 Year October Lows in Total Viewers and 24 Year Lows in A25-54 Demo for Midterm Year

FOX News Media continued to dominate across linear and digital platforms in October, leading cable news viewership while outpacing competitors on YouTube and digital platforms. According to Nielsen Media Research, FOX News Channel (FNC) finished as the number one cable network in total day with 1.1 million viewers, commanding more than 50% of the cable news audience in total day and primetime and beating CNN and MS NOW combined. 

FNC also remained the top cable network in primetime year-to-date and the only cable network averaging more than 1 million total day viewers, outperforming ESPN despite the return of college football and Monday Night Football. 

NAB's LeGeyt Affirms Collaboration On 1A Protections

National Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said the trade group will continue working with FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez and other policymakers to protect broadcasters’ First Amendment rights and strengthen local stations’ ability to deliver trusted news and information.

In a statement issued October 27, LeGeyt responded to Gomez’s October 22 letter calling for a more forceful industry defense of local stations. “We appreciate Commissioner Gomez’s recognition of the value of local broadcasters and her commitment to the First Amendment principles that underpin a free press,” LeGeyt wrote. “We will continue working with her and all policymakers to protect broadcasters’ rights and strengthen local stations’ ability to deliver trusted news and information to the communities they serve.”

Gomez had urged the NAB to take a harder public stand against what she described as a coordinated administration effort to pressure stations, particularly over election-related coverage. While crediting the association for opposing the FCC’s early license-renewal order, she said the volume of that response “has not yet matched the scale of what your members are facing.”

Insights: Radio Top Audio Source In EVs, But...

This week's Insight from Edison Research shows that while AM/FM radio remains the largest source of in-car audio listening for Americans ages 13 and older, it accounts for a smaller share of listening among people whose primary vehicle is an electric vehicle (EV), according to data presented in a recent webinar.

AM/FM radio makes up 53% of in-car audio time among the overall U.S. 13+ population, compared with 42% among EV drivers and riders. Streaming music is the second-largest source, accounting for 17% of listening overall and 22% among the EV group. EV drivers and riders also devote twice the share of their in-car audio time to podcasts as the overall population, while SiriusXM’s share rises from 16% to 20%. Other audio platforms remain relatively consistent across the two groups.

Americans ages 13 and older spend an average of 1 hour and 4 minutes per day listening to audio in the car—more than one-quarter of their daily audio listening time.

Law Suit Claims TWH Remains In Retaliation Mode

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have amended their lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s White House, accusing the administration of continuing to retaliate against them by excluding their reporters from press-pool coverage aboard Air Force One and in other White House spaces.

The outlets say the exclusions violate the First and Fifth Amendments. Their amended complaint asks a judge to declare the administration’s actions unlawful and permanently bar the White House from excluding them for retaliatory or viewpoint-discriminatory reasons.

The filing follows repeated exclusions of CNN and Politico from Trump’s Air Force One trips, despite a recent court order halting the administration’s broader ban. Two weeks ago, US District Judge Timothy P. Kelly granted a preliminary injunction restoring the outlets’ White House access, finding that Trump’s ban likely violated the First Amendment by discriminating against journalists based on their coverage.

Rare Demo Recording By The Beatles Is In Litigation

The Beatles in 1962

A Los Angeles judge has ruled that Universal Music Group can continue its legal effort to recover a rare Beatles demo tape from the estate of Abbey Road engineer Geoff Emerick. The ruling clears the way for a trial, scheduled for January, to decide whether the studio had abandoned the tape decades ago.

Judge David Cowan found that Calderstone Productions, a UMG unit that administers the Beatles catalog, has legal standing to pursue its claim. The estate had argued that UMG could not prove it inherited ownership rights from Abbey Road. Cowan rejected that argument, writing that Calderstone’s chain of title gives it the right to bring a claim over the tape’s alleged conversion—the legal term for wrongful taking.

The estate is asking Cowan to reconsider. In a motion filed last week, its lead counsel, Kenneth Fruendlich, argued that the ruling rewrites decades-old documents and would cause “a manifest injustice.” The motion is pending. Neither side immediately commented.

Just Takes Seconds: The Pulse Briefing For Thursday, Oct 29

Radio Broadcasting

Radio Source In E-Vs Wanes: Edison Research shows that while AM/FM radio remains the largest source of in-car audio listening for Americans ages 13 and older, it accounts for a smaller share of listening among people whose primary vehicle is an electric vehicle (EV). MORE

NAB Pledges 1A Support: National Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said the trade group will continue working with FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez and other policymakers to protect broadcasters’ First Amendment rights and strengthen local stations’ ability to deliver trusted news and information. MORE

Here Comes Santa: SiriusXM Ready To Launch Holiday Formats MORE

Media Industry

WH Press Ban Update: CNN, MS NOW and Politico have amended their lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s White House, accusing the administration of continuing to retaliate against them by excluding their reporters from press-pool coverage aboard Air Force One and in other White House spaces. MORE

FOX Leads Cable: FNC Leads All of Cable in Total Day with Total Viewers for 41st Consecutive Week. CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ Posts Lowest-Rated Episode of the Season, Draws Smallest 6th-Episode Audience Since the Year 2000..WNT Remains No.1 Broadcast, FNC The Notches 99 of the top 100 Cable News Telecasts in October.  MORE

Beatles Demo In Court: Rare Demo Recording By The Beatles Is In Litigation..Trial Set for January '27 MORE

U-S News

Brew Crew Are Champs: The Milwaukee Brewers captured their first World Series championship in franchise history by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 1. The victory, secured with a 4-1 win on Wednesday, October 22, 2026, marks a historic milestone for the 57-year-old organization.

Alaska Senator Vote: President Donald Trump has called for the criminal prosecution and removal from the ballot of Alaska Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola following reports that her campaign recruited a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. The controversy centers on allegations that a 'spoiler' candidate, Daniel A. Sullivan, was introduced to confuse voters and peel votes away from the incumbent.

Calif Ballot Challenge: A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the latest Trump administration attempt to intervene in the midterm elections, denying an effort to force California to immediately set aside 20,000 ballots from people the administration suspects are “likely noncitizens.”

TV Ratings: ABC's WNT Is the No.1 Program On TV

“World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 1 program in Total Viewers (8.837 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of Oct. 19, 2026, based on Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the No. 1 newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.837 million), Adults 25-54 (1.198 million) and Adults 18-49 (863,000).
• “World News Tonight” outperformed “NBC Nightly News” (6.720 million, 1.107 million and 809,000, respectively) in Total Viewers (+32%/+2.117 million), Adults 25-54 (+8%/+91,000) and Adults 18-49 (+7%/+54,000).

Google Revenue Slows

Alphabet reported third-quarter revenue of $127.6 billion, narrowly missing analyst expectations as growth in its core search advertising business decelerated. Following the announcement, shares fell about 10% in after-hours trading.

The company's aggressive investment in artificial intelligence is heavily weighing on its financials. Capital expenditures surged to $51.4 billion, causing free cash flow to drop further into negative territory at $9.1 billion—a loss greater than analysts expected.

YouTube Reports Stronger Living Room Growth

YouTube reported solid growth in both advertising and subscription revenue, led by strong living-room viewing that accounted for more than a third of its ad sales. YouTube Music and Premium also crossed 150 million subscribers worldwide.

YouTube delivered another strong quarter, with advertising revenue climbing 9% year-over-year to $11.2 billion and YouTube Music and Premium exceeding 150 million subscribers worldwide, including trials. Living-room viewing proved especially powerful, accounting for more than one-third of the platform’s total ad revenue during the period.

FOX Noticias Expands Digital Programming

FOX Noticias, FOX News Media’s daily Spanish-language news program, will expand its digital programming with a weekly video podcast and daily headline updates beginning October 29.

Launching on Thursday, October 29 ahead of the midterm elections, FOX Noticias anchor Andrea Linares will host the video podcast Cafecito Chats with episodes dropping each Thursday. 

Radio History: Oct 29

➦In 1957...Bobby Helms was in Nashville to record “Jingle Bell Rock” for Decca Records. It made it into the Billboard Top Ten pop singles both this year and next, and has been a radio staple at Christmastime every year since.

➦In 1975....Bandleader John Scott Trotter, who was musical director for Bing Crosby on radio, and George Goebel on TV, succumbed to cancer at age 67.  He also conducted the sound track for almost all the Charlie Brown TV specials.

➦In 1995...Howard Stern’s “Miss America” book was in stores.  Lawyers for the actual Miss America pageant were not happy.

➦In 2003…According to the results of a Nielsen study, a third of the sales of "Beatles 1" were to fans aged 19 to 24, skewing the band's fan base even younger than it had been previously.

➦In 2005...Radio programmer Julian Breen, former Assistant PD at 77WABC NYC and PD at KFRC San Francisco, died.