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People of Play, a division of The Toy Association, has revealed the speaker lineup and agenda for the 2025 Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, November 5 to 9 in Rosemont, Illinois. The keynote address will be given by Dustin Cohn, chief marketing officer at OnePay and formerly with Goldman Sachs and PepsiCo. Attendees will also hear expert panels from leading voices in toy innovation, marketing and design.

NPR and WBUR made three strategic new appointments at “Here & Now,” the live midday news program heard on 500 NPR member stations across the country. Award-winning journalist Indira Lakshmanan joins as the next co-host of “Here & Now,” debuting late next month alongside Scott Tong and Robin Young. She will be based in Boston. Peter O’Dowd, the senior editor who has stepped in regularly as a host for several years on “Here & Now,” takes on a new role as correspondent and regular fill-in host. And international news industry veteran Allan Price joins as the new executive producer after two decades with BBC News.

Bloomberg Media and YouTube TV reached an agreement October 28 that brings Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Originals programming to YouTube’s live TV streaming service for the first time. YouTube TV subscribers now have access to Bloomberg’s live video coverage of breaking business and financial news as well as its slate of original series and documentaries. The Bloomberg TV+ (BTV+) and Bloomberg Originals channel streams will be available as part of the YouTube TV base plan.

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ABC announced its 2026 midseason premiere dates, with “America’s Funniest Home Videos” kicking off the week of Sunday, January 4. The Season 4 premiere of “Will Trent” airs January 6, followed by the midseason return of “High Potential” and the Season 8 premiere of “The Rookie.” Wednesday night comedies “Shifting Gears” and “Abbott Elementary” return on January 7, followed by the return of “Shark Tank.” “9-1-1,” “9-1-1: Nashville” and “Grey’s Anatomy” return on January 8, with “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” and ABC News’ “20/20,” returning on January 9. “NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC” returns for select Saturdays beginning January 24. “American Idol” premieres its ninth season on ABC and 24th season overall beginning January 26. Back-to-back episodes of “Scrubs” premiere February 25 and “Celebrity Jeopardy!” returns for Season 4 with a brand-new All-Stars Tournament February 27. “The Bachelorette,” hosted by Jesse Palmer, kicks off on its new night, Sunday, March 22. New drama series “RJ Decker” (working title) starring Scott Speedman will debut in 2026. The premiere date will be announced at a later time.

This weekend, “Mission Unstoppable,” hosted by Miranda Cosgrove and produced by Geena Davis, highlights the nonprofit organization AnitaB.org and their efforts to mentor women hoping to pursue a career in the tech field. Through their Apprenticeship Pathway Program, mentors help professional women break into the tech industry, and, upon completing the program, women are supported by the AnitaB alumni community with access to lifelong resources, community and programs.

Mark Harmon will guest star in the November 11 episode of “NCIS: Origins,” reprising his longtime character Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The episode is part of a crossover with “NCIS.” Harmon serves as an executive producer for both shows and is the narrator of “NCIS: Origins.” Although he had a cameo in the series premiere last year, the November episode will be his most substantial on-camera work as Gibbs since he left the series in 2021.

“MotorWeek” will mark its milestone 45th season with a special anniversary episode premiering November 8 on public television stations across the country and on streaming platforms. The series looks back at where it all got started, with a view behind the scenes at how road tests come together, a recap of the show’s grandest adventures and a dive into some of the most noteworthy vehicles tested over the years.

Artificial intelligence is the second most influential shopping source — next only to online search engines — according to a new study from IAB: “When AI Guides the Shopping Journey: Opportunities for Marketers in the Age of AI-Driven Commerce.” According to the study, conducted in collaboration with Talk Shoppe, 46% of AI shoppers say they use AI “most or every time” they shop, and 80% say they expect to rely on it more in the future. They also say AI makes shopping more fun, intuitive and personal, with more than 70% of shoppers saying it often anticipates their needs before they even ask. But even as AI simplifies choices, less than half (46%) of consumers fully trust the shopping recommendations it provides, and 89% still double-check AI information to feel certain before purchase.

StackAdapt said it has made a major enhancement to its digital out-of-home (DOOH) solution, introducing a map-first user interface and a unified workflow that streamlines campaign planning, activation and reporting.

“The partnership with Paramount has already been incredible and it just keeps getting bigger and better,” said UFC President and CEO Dana White. “They are now taking on new territories like Latin America and Australia and this thing is just going to continue to grow. It just shows you how aggressive they are with this business, and I love it. I can’t wait to continue working together and building the next generation of talent all over the world.”

UFC fans across Latin America will have access to all 13 marquee numbered events and 30 “UFC Fight Nights” televised live, at no additional cost to Paramount+ subscribers. Paramount+ Australia is stepping into the Octagon with a lineup of UFC content, including all 30 “UFC Fight Nights” and the prelims for all marquee UFC numbered events.

TNT Sports continues its season-long coverage of Big 12 football with the Arizona State Sun Devils visiting the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday, November 1, at 1 p.m. on TNT, truTV and HBO Max presented by Modelo.

They’re it. World Chase Tag USA (WCT), the world’s first and only global competitive tag organization, says it had record global growth this year, nearly doubling the number of official WCT Quads installed in 15 countries to 46 (up from 26) and increasing its digital reach, with more than 2.5 billion organic online views to date.

“NHL Frozen Frenzy” aired October 28 on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ and Disney+ featuring all 32 NHL teams in action in support of Hockey Fights Cancer, a V Foundation for Cancer Research and AstraZeneca initiative that has raised $12 million over two seasons. The evening included a public fundraising component for the V Foundation in support of Hockey Fights Cancer. The national spotlight continues during Prime Monday Night Hockey on November 3 (Prime Video in Canada), NHL on TNT’s coverage on November 4 in the U.S. and during Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet on November 29. November also continues to be a league-wide celebration month for Hockey Fights Cancer, and all 32 Clubs are set to host in-game awareness nights throughout the season.

According to a report by SponsorUnited, Major League Baseball has reached $2.05 billion in total team sponsorship revenue this season. This milestone makes the MLB the second major U.S. sports league (after the NFL did so in 2022) to cross the $2 billion threshold and is an 8% increase over the 2024 season. The Los Angeles Dodgers, with 76 sponsors, including 20 Japanese brands and six new deals in 2025, lead the pack and are projected to become the first North American sports franchise to exceed $200 million in annual sponsorship revenue. They are one of five teams – alongside the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, and Braves to generate over $100 million in team sponsorship revenue.

Today’s Trivia Question
What legal series starred Carl Betz as a high-priced Houston lawyer — based loosely on F. Lee Bailey — who tackled taboo cases across the country? (Email your answer to mjfarrell9865324@gmail.com and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: a limit of four answers per time zone.)