Finally Friday! The Day Starts With The Pulse For Oct 2

Radio History

Less Paperwork: The FCC on Thursday eliminated the requirement that radio and television stations file annual reports on the race, ethnicity, and gender of their employees, formally removing a data-collection rule the Fifth Circuit had already struck down.  MORE

DEI Lacking: Minority representation in the radio news workforce held flat at 16.6% in 2026, unchanged from a year earlier and down from a record 21.5% two years ago, according to the latest RTDNA/Newhouse School at Syracuse University Survey. MORE

Missing Dolly: Country Radio Broadcasters has named Dolly Parton the recipient of its 2027 Artist Humanitarian Award, an honor that will be presented posthumously at Country Radio Seminar, March 17–19 in Nashville. MORE

Media Industry

Wrong Court, Wrong Time: FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Disney is suing in the wrong court at the wrong time over an order forcing eight ABC-owned stations to seek license renewal early, and he said the agency has not decided whether to move toward revoking those licenses. MORE

CNN CEO Staying: David Ellison has asked CNN CEO Mark Thompson to remain at the network after Paramount completes its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, though the two sides have not agreed on a new contract. MORE

Part of The Buy: The Trump administration has bought taxpayer-funded ads promoting President Donald Trump on CNN and MS NOW, even as it has sought to bar both networks from the White House. MORE

U-S News

She's Alive! Christa Pike's September 30 lethal‑injection execution in Tennessee turned into a chaotic, apparently failed procedure, leaving her alive but in critical condition and prompting intense scrutiny of the state’s execution protocol.

Buying A Home Takes a Hit: Mortgage rates posted their largest increase in four years this week, one of the clearest signs of how the recent bond-market selloff is spilling into the broader economy.

Brackets Set: The 2026 MLB wild‑card round saw the Los Angeles Dodgers advance while the Philadelphia Phillies were eliminated, setting up divisional series matchups that favor teams with deeper pitching staffs.