Smart Home Shipments Projected to Reach 105.8M by 2030

• S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan forecasts 4.6% annual growth through the end of the decade, with the installed base expected to climb above 560 million devices

U.S. smart home device shipments are projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.6% from 2025 through 2030, reaching 105.8 million units annually, according to a new forecast from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan. 

Annual shipments totaled an estimated 84.4 million units in 2025. The research firm attributes the continued expansion partly to the growing adoption of artificial intelligence and Apple’s push deeper into the smart home market, factors that could help accelerate growth in a sector that has expanded gradually but steadily rather than through rapid, boom-and-bust cycles.

PBS Launches 'Press Pass' As Fundraiser Initiative

PBS News has launched Press Pass, a fundraising initiative that asks audiences to contribute $8 a month in exchange for behind-the-scenes content and events. The effort is intended to bring in revenue directly from supporters as the organization faces funding pressures.

Benefits include a weekly behind-the-scenes newsletter, virtual events with PBS News journalists and sponsor-free versions of PBS News podcasts, with more offerings planned. PBS News says its reporting and programming will remain free and accessible to all.

The initiative comes as WETA, the Washington, D.C., station that houses PBS News, contends with financial challenges following the end of federal funding for public broadcasting. WETA CEO Sharon Rockefeller previously told staff the loss of Corporation for Public Broadcasting support created a $6.7 million shortfall for fiscal year 2026 and an estimated $9 million shortfall for FY27.

Buffalo Radio: Country Goes Classic On WUSW

Radio One Buffalo has launched US Country on WUSW in Buffalo, N.Y., introducing a Classic Country format featuring hits from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. The station, which targets listeners throughout Western New York and Southern Ontario, is branded as “US Country – Buffalo’s Country Favorites.”

Nominations Close Friday For Country Radio HOF

The nomination deadline for the Country Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2027 is this Friday, October 30. Industry professionals and peers are urged to submit nominations immediately so candidates can be considered for induction next year.

The Country Radio Hall of Fame (CRHoF), founded in 1974, honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the Country radio and music industry. To be eligible, nominees must have worked a minimum of 20 years in radio, including at least 15 years in the Country format.

The organization recognizes outstanding professionals in two categories:

Radio, which honors those who have worked behind the scenes in programming, management, sales, and other key roles; and

On-Air Personality, which recognizes talent who have distinguished themselves as on-air broadcasters.

Nominations are accepted year-round. However, any submissions received after this Friday’s deadline will automatically be held for consideration for the Class of 2028. To nominate a candidate, complete the official nomination form [HERE].

Skydance Offers Voluntary Buyouts

• Company also mandates five-day in-office workweek

Skydance is giving some employees a one-time voluntary buyout option as it combines Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery following the close of their $110 billion merger. Eligible staff will receive personalized terms and a window to decide whether to accept the offer.

Steve Wilson To Lead Podcasts For Netflix

Netflix has tapped former Apple executive Steve Wilson to lead its podcasting division, TheWrap has learned, as the streamer expands its slate of licensed and original audio and video podcasts.

The appointment, first reported Monday by Bloomberg, comes just over a week after Peter Rice replaced Bela Bajaria as Netflix's chief content officer.

Wilson spent nearly 15 years at Apple, from 2006 to 2020, and was among the earliest members of the Apple Podcasts team. He later served as chief strategy officer at Daylight Media, formerly QCODE, from 2020 to 2026.

Troy Aikman Says Broadcasting Could Be 'Taken Away From Me'

Troy Aikman said he is realizing how much he values broadcasting as he enters the final year of his ESPN contract, expressing hope that his role is not taken away from him.

Speaking on Dallas Cowboys insider Mike Fisher’s YouTube show ahead of calling the Cowboys’ “Monday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 26, the three-time Super Bowl champion said the possibility of losing the job has sharpened his appreciation for the work.

Baltimore Radio: ‘Ravens Daily’ to Debut on WBAL NewsRadio

Michael Pierce, Kyle Youmans

The Baltimore Ravens and WBAL NewsRadio announced Monday the Nov. 9 premiere of “Ravens Daily,” a two-hour, year-round weekday radio show hosted by “Voice of the Ravens” Kyle Youmans and former Ravens defensive lineman Michael Pierce.

The program will air live Monday through Friday from 3–5 p.m. on WBAL NewsRadio and multiple Ravens digital platforms, offering specialized analysis and conversation both during the season and throughout the offseason.

Omaha Radio: Summit Names Aaron Wilborn as Market President

SummitMedia has appointed Aaron Wilborn as Market President of its Omaha operations, where he will oversee the company’s radio stations, digital platforms, and events business.

Wilborn joins SummitMedia from Dick Broadcasting Company, where he has served as President since 2018, leading the company’s radio group as well as its digital and events divisions. 

Update In Brief: Check the Pulse For Tuesday, Oct 27

Radio Broadcasting

St. Louis Approval: FCC regulators approved the $20M acquisition of six stations—including heritage news/talk KMOX-AM/FM—rejecting an informal objection that raised concerns about media consolidation, editorial independence, and local journalism. The FCC called the claims speculative. MORE

Promotion In Omaha: SummitMedia has appointed Aaron Wilborn as Market President of its Omaha operations, where he will oversee the company’s radio stations, digital platforms, and events business. MORE

Ravens Report: The Baltimore Ravens and WBAL NewsRadio announced Monday the Nov. 9 premiere of “Ravens Daily,” a two-hour, year-round weekday radio show hosted by “Voice of the Ravens” Kyle Youmans and former Ravens defensive lineman Michael Pierce. MORE

Media Industry

Skydance Buyouts: Company mandates five-day in-office workweek and is giving some employees a one-time voluntary buyout option. Eligible staff will receive personalized terms and a window to decide whether to accept the offer. MORE

Microsoft Buyout: Microsoft is extending voluntary buyout offers to roughly 60,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, India and the U.K., the company. MORE

Podcasts: Netflix has tapped former Apple executive Steve Wilson to lead its podcasting division, as the streamer expands its slate of licensed and original audio and video podcasts. MORE

U-S News

Comey Facing Charges: Former FBI Director James Comey is facing a third criminal case brought by the DOJ, which alleges he mishandled sensitive national defense information. Comey has denied all allegations, while the legal developments follow a recent judicial ruling regarding his daughter's unlawful firing.

Brew Crew Wins: The Brewers are one win away from history. With a 3-0 World Series lead, the dominant 103-win club is on the doorstep of the first championship in franchise history, 44 years after their last trip to the Fall Classic. MNF: The Eagles defense conceded a season-high 416 yards to the Dak Prescott-led Cowboys offense, powering their division rivals to a 38-21 victory.

Aikman Talks Career: Troy Aikman is involved in one of the most high-profile broadcasting dramas of the NFL season, as his contract standoff with ESPN – not to mention his feud with longtime partner and friend Joe Buck – has become one of the talking points of the season. MORE

Microsoft Offers Voluntary Buyouts

Microsoft is extending voluntary buyout offers to roughly 60,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, India and the U.K., the company said Monday. The time-limited program, available to select workers, includes financial support and career planning resources.

Eligible employees will receive an email with their individual offer details within hours, Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said in a message to staff. “The Voluntary Exit Offer reflects an important part of how we’re evolving our approach to change: creating greater flexibility and, where possible, more ways for employees to shape their next chapter,” she wrote.

Six Americans Sue Trump Over WH Press Access Limits

Six Americans sued President Donald Trump on Monday, arguing that his administration’s restrictions on White House press access violate the public’s First Amendment right to independent reporting on the government.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York by Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute and Yale Law School’s Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic, challenges the policy of excluding news organizations over coverage the president considers false or unfavorable. It seeks protections for the entire press corps, saying the threat of lost access discourages critical reporting.

Layoffs Continues At E W Scripps Company

The E.W. Scripps Company launched a new round of buyout offers and layoffs on Tuesday as part of its effort to reduce employment costs and ease its sizable debt load, with the cuts reaching nearly all of its television stations nationwide.

According to multiple employees familiar with the matter, the notices and offers are affecting stations across the country, including those in major markets such as Detroit, Cincinnati, Denver and Phoenix. The company has framed the reductions as one element of a broader plan to lower operating expenses tied to staffing.

The moves come roughly one week before Scripps is scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings. They also arrive about two weeks after the company arranged interviews for Chief Executive Officer Adam Symson with a small number of hand-selected publications, in which he discussed the use of artificial intelligence to evolve Scripps’ local news products.

Record College Football Viewership Propels ESPN

• ESPN networks are averaging 2.2 million viewers through Week 7, the second-best start to a college football season since 2011 
•  ESPN and ABC have aired eight of the season’s 10 most-watched games across all networks and a record eight telecasts with at least 8 million viewers through Week 7 
• College GameDay is on pace for its most-watched season ever, averaging 2.8 million viewers with six of the nine most-watched regular-season episodes in the show’s history

College football on ESPN is delivering its second-best start since 2011, with viewership up 15 percent over two years. Through Week 7, the sport is on pace for unprecedented viewership across linear windows, with ABC’s Saturday prime window posting its highest per-game average on record and College GameDay recording six of its nine most-watched regular-season episodes in history.

Official: Jay-Z To Headline S-B Halftime Show

Jay-Z will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show, ESPN announced Monday night, ending weeks of speculation about whether the rapper would perform himself.

The announcement came in a short black-and-white clip aired during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys–Philadelphia Eagles game. Jay-Z appeared seated in a stadium stand beneath the words, “Goat’s out of the bag.”

The show is scheduled for February 14 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Jay-Z said the performance would mark a milestone in his career: “From Reasonable Doubt to standing on the Super Bowl Halftime stage, this has been a journey. Thirty years of music, work, and culture on the world’s biggest stage. This run continues to be a dream come true.”

R.I.P.: Norman Feuer, Longtime Broadcaster, Radio Executive

(1938-2026)

Norman Feuer, a longtime broadcaster and radio executive who led stations and companies across the country over a career spanning more than five decades, died Oct. 19 after a three-year battle with dementia. He was 88.

Feuer’s career included leading Triathlon Broadcasting as president and CEO from 1995 to 1999, when the publicly traded company expanded to 32 stations in mid-sized and smaller markets. Capstar acquired Triathlon in 1999 for $200 million.

He also led major station turnarounds.