Kennedy Center Honors for 2026 Unveiled

The Kennedy Center has announced its 2026 honorees: singer Paul Anka, country music legend Barbara Mandrell, producer David Foster, actor Andy Garcia, and playwright David Mamet.

The celebration will take place on December 7 at the Capital One Arena. Due to ongoing renovations at the Kennedy Center’s main building, this marks the first time the awards ceremony will be held off-campus.

Borrell Associates: 'Digital' Nears 80% of Ad Spend By 2030

Borrell Associates has nearly doubled its forecast for growth in U.S. local digital advertising this year and revised upward its estimate of digital media’s share of the market.

“Local digital advertising is growing nearly twice as fast as previously forecast, fueled by a dramatic reshuffling of the nation’s business landscape and surging demand for streaming video,” the research firm said.

Higher Prices Preserve Margins For Apple

Apple exceeded Wall Street’s expectations for its September quarter, reporting 12% revenue growth and a 47.9% gross profit margin, bolstered by strategic price increases that helped offset rising memory and storage costs. Despite these results, Apple shares remained flat amid investor concern over the company’s slowing growth and the pressure on new CEO John Ternus to revitalize its innovation engine.

Zimmer Names Mike Stern Director of Programming

Zimmer Communications has appointed veteran programmer and consultant Mike Stern as its new Director of Programming, effective Monday, November 16. Stern will oversee programming for the company’s radio stations in Columbia, Jefferson City, and Springfield, Missouri.⁠

Mike Stern

Stern joins Zimmer after more than 13 years as a consultant with Detroit-based Jacobs Media, where he specialized in formats including Alternative, Active Rock, Classic Rock, and AAA. He previously programmed stations in Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, Detroit, Las Vegas, and Dayton, including a stint as Vice President of Programming for Emmis Communications in Chicago, where he oversaw Alternative Q101 (WKQX) and Classic Rock The Loop (WLUP). His earlier career also included roles as News/Talk Editor for Radio & Records, editor for Billboard’s Top 40 Update, and founder of the talent coaching firm Talent Mechanic.⁠

“I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to join Zimmer Communications,” Stern said. “I’ve consulted them for more than a decade, so I know it is a first-class radio operation that still believes in being local and connecting with listeners. I’d like to thank Carla Leible and Trevor Morgan for making this possible.”

Household Spending Now The Most In 15-Years

Housing and food made up nearly half of U.S. households’ spending in 2025, the most in 15 years amid rising rents, homeowner costs and beef prices.

On average, American families spent $1,988 more on the two categories combined than in 2024, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. And that was before the Iran war sent some grocery prices and utility costs surging this year, according to The Chicago Tribune.

At the same time, average pretax income rose 6.4% to $110,847 in 2025, outpacing both inflation and expenditures, the annual Consumer Expenditure Survey shows.

Budget Conscious Shoppers Saving For Holiday Gifts

US consumers are trimming Halloween spending this year to free up money for Christmas, a new Hall & Partners survey of 1,000 shoppers shows, as household budgets remain under pressure.

Nearly 30 percent (29.5%) of those polled planned to spend less on Halloween, while 24% expected to spend more. In contrast, 30% said they would increase their Christmas outlays, and only 21% planned to budget less for the December holiday. The findings point to a deliberate trade-off in which many shoppers are prioritizing the later, larger celebration.

‘Choosin’ Texas’ No. 1 on Hot 100 for Record-Extending 26th Week

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” extends its record run atop the Billboard Hot 100, marking a 26th week at No. 1.

The song first reached the top of the chart dated Feb. 14. It is No. 1 on the chart dated Nov. 7, extending its record for the most calendar months with a Hot 100 No. 1.

Reports: Disney Looking At 'Thousands' of Job Cuts

Walt Disney Co. is preparing thousands of job cuts and has instructed some managers to target 20% annual cost savings through a mix of layoffs and expense reductions, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.⁠

The savings drive, discussed privately, will not fall evenly across the company. Theme parks, television networks, and the film studio are among the operations expected to bear a disproportionate share of the reductions. Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro plans to reinvest a portion of the resulting savings into film and TV programming, technology, theme parks, and the cruise-ship business.⁠

Disney has committed to double-digit growth in adjusted earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company employed about 231,000 people worldwide at the end of fiscal 2025. It declined to comment on the Bloomberg report.

More Americans Are Working On-Site

Marketers and media agency employees are commuting more often and spending more days in the office, according to a new Advertiser Perceptions study commissioned by the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group.

The October 1-13, 2026, survey included 304 media agencies and brands. Its results were compared with nine earlier Advertiser Perceptions studies conducted since April 2022.

Get A Quick Update With The Pulse for Tuesday, Nov. 3

Radio Broadcasting

Digital  Forecast: Borrell Associates has nearly doubled its forecast for growth in U.S. local digital advertising this year and revised upward its estimate of digital media’s share of the market. MORE

No Regrets: A year after ending his 25-year run on Atlanta’s “The Bert Show,” radio host Bert Weiss says he has no regrets and has not missed the work. MORE

Radio TSL: AM/FM accounts for 81% of ad-supported audio listening in cars and trucks, according to Edison Research’s third-quarter 2026 “Share of Ear” report. MORE

Media Industry

Apple Wavering: The Apple growth and profit machine is wavering, and the boost from price increases might not be enough to keep it going at historic rates. That dials up the pressure on Apple’s new chief executive, John Ternus. MORE

Cuts Coming: Walt Disney Co. is preparing thousands of job cuts and has instructed some managers to target 20% annual cost savings through a mix of layoffs and expense reductions. MORE

Sticky Issue: Netflix’s growth increasingly depends on advertising—and advertising depends on viewing time. But subscribers are watching less, leaving investors to question whether the company can keep growing without another hit. MORE

Netflix Has A Sticky Problem

Netflix’s growth increasingly depends on advertising—and advertising depends on viewing time. But subscribers are watching less, leaving investors to question whether the company can keep growing without another hit.

According to a Wall Street Journal reports, the concern is visible in the gap between Netflix’s business results and its stock. Margins are on track for a record year, cash flow is strong, and cancellations remain the lowest in the industry. Yet the stock has fallen about half from last year’s peak. Investors are focused on engagement: Wells Fargo estimates that the average subscriber watches about 9% less than three years ago, based on Netflix disclosures and the bank’s subscriber estimates.

That focus reflects a measure Netflix itself elevated. When the company stopped reporting subscriber numbers last year, it said engagement—how much time members spend watching—was the best measure of customer satisfaction. Now viewing has stalled, and Netflix plans to report engagement annually rather than twice a year starting next year.

The Dollars And Cents Midterms

America’s midterm elections are shaping up as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term, with Democrats widely expected to win control of the House of Representatives and the Senate still in play. A Democratic majority in either chamber would make it harder for Trump to advance his agenda and give the opposition party greater power to scrutinize his administration.

Voters are heading to the polls after tens of millions have already cast early ballots. Many say they are frustrated by the high cost of living and anxious about the future of their jobs as artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace.

Radio History: Nov 3

➦In 1906...International Radiotelegraph Conference in Berlin selects "SOS" (· · · – – – · · ·) distress signal as the worldwide standard for help

➦In 1946...This photo of Bob Hope during a radio rehearsal appeared in the NY Times...

➦In 1957...Sam Phillips, owner of legendary Sun Records in Memphis released Great Balls of Fire, by Jerry Lee Lewis. The single sold 5 million copies worldwide. Looking carefully at the original label, one will find credit to Lewis and “his pumping piano.”

➦In 1961...Newscasters and deejays returned to the air on Top40 KFWB 980 AM in Los Angeles after a striking for 122 days. Major provisions included raising base wages of staff announcers (disc jockeys) for the first year as of May 1 to $187.50 a week, $197.50 the second year and $205 the third year. Base wages of three returning newsman will be increased to $195 a week as of December 1st.

➦In 1962...Billboard magazine drops the "Western" from its "Country and Western" chart title.

Viewer 'Fatigue' Gets The Attention of Lachlan Murdoch

Fox News Channel’s viewership fell sharply in the third quarter and October, prompting Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch to tell investors he sees signs of “viewer fatigue.” The network still leads cable news ratings, but October was on track to be its weakest month for total-day viewers since December 2023, according to preliminary Nielsen figures.

Fox averaged 1.1 million total-day viewers in October, down 27% from a year earlier, and 98,000 viewers in the advertiser-valued 25–54 demographic, down 32%. In the third quarter, total-day viewership dropped 16%, while viewing among adults 25–54 fell 24%.

Variety reports Murdoch believes viewers were not switching to other news channels but were watching less television. Fox News Media executives have seen similar patterns before, he added, and have a “playbook” for responding.

Fox Revenue Jumps 22% to $4.6B

Fox Corporation reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of $4.57 billion, a 22% year-over-year increase, with net income rising 57% to $957 million, as advertising revenue surged 47% to $2.08 billion on the strength of its FIFA Men’s World Cup broadcasts; shares jumped about 4% in premarket trading.⁠

The results, released Monday for the three months ended September 30, 2026, exceeded analyst expectations. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $2.54 versus consensus estimates around $2.06, while revenue topped forecasts near $4.32 billion. Net income attributable to stockholders was $943 million, or $2.20 per share, compared with $599 million, or $1.32 per share, a year earlier.⁠

Advertising revenue rose to $2.081 billion from $1.412 billion, driven primarily by the company’s multi-week World Cup telecasts, elevated political advertising during the midterm election cycle, and continued digital growth led by the free ad-supported streaming service Tubi. Distribution revenue increased 9% to $2.084 billion, reflecting contractual price increases and subscriber gains. Content and other revenue was roughly flat at $406 million.