Radio Prep Sep 30, 2026: National Days, Birthdays, Concerts

National Day

National Chewing Gum Day (USA) This observance celebrates chewing gum's long history including how it was first commercialized mid-19th century and even includes bubble-blowing fun challenges for today.

National Hot Mulled Cider Day (USA) It's a cozy food-and-drink observance honouring warm cider spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves—perfect for autumn flavour lovers.

National Women's Health & Fitness Day (USA) Held on the last Wednesday of September, this day promotes preventive health care and fitness among women—2026's edition aligns with September 30.

International Translation Day (International) Established by the United Nations to honour translators and interpreters; it follows the feast of Saint Jerome, the patron saint of translators.

Birthdays

T-Pain (42) American singer and rapper known for popularizing the use of Auto-Tune in music. He won two Grammy Awards for collaborations with Kanye West and Jamie Foxx. T-Pain's debut album 'Rappa Ternt Sanga' was certified gold.

Johnny Mathis (91) American jazz-pop singer with a career spanning several decades. He is known for his hit songs like 'Chances Are' and 'Misty.' Mathis has sold over 350 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Marc Bolan (79 — deceased) English guitarist and singer, best known as the frontman of the glam rock band T. Rex. Bolan was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s. His song 'Get It On' became a massive hit in both the UK and the US.

Monica Bellucci (62) Italian actress and model known for her roles in international films. She gained fame for her role in 'The Matrix' series. Bellucci has been a prominent figure in both European and Hollywood cinema.

Fran Drescher (69) American actress and writer best known for her role as Fran Fine in the TV series 'The Nanny.' Her distinctive voice and comedic timing made her a household name. Drescher is also an advocate for cancer awareness and health issues.

On This Day

🎵 Music Mariah Carey became the first female artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her single "Fantasy" in 1995, beginning an eight-week run at the top starting that week.

🎵 Music BBC Radio 1 launched at 7am in the UK in 1967, with Tony Blackburn presenting the first programme and The Move's "Flowers in the Rain" being the first record played.

🌟 Pop Culture Hoover Dam was dedicated between Arizona and Nevada in 1935, becoming one of the largest engineering projects in the United States.

🌟 Pop Culture The Flintstones premiered as the first animated television series made for prime-time audiences when it debuted in 1960.

Movies & TV

Digger — 🎬 Cinema Digger is a satirical, high-concept comedy of catastrophic proportions directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, with Tom Cruise starring as Digger Rockwell—an eccentric, world-powerful tycoon who must scramble to fix a disaster of his own making. In addition to Cruise, the cast includes Riz Ahmed, Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons, John Goodman and others, with the film filmed entirely in VistaVision and backed by strong awards-season expectations. It opens October 2, 2026 in the United States and the same date in the UK; however, early critic-screenings have already started to yield mixed feedback, placing its awards potential in question.
Released: Friday Oct 2, 2026

Resident Evil — 🎬 Cinema Resident Evil is a horror-action reboot written and directed by Zach Cregger, starring Austin Abrams as Bryan, with Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, and Kali Reis among the leads. It follows a medical courier who becomes engulfed in a terrifying viral outbreak in an isolated town, navigating horror, monsters, and unlikely alliances. The film has opened to critical acclaim—scoring in the mid-90s on Rotten Tomatoes—broke franchise records at the box office with the biggest opening ever for a Resident Evil movie in North America, and is now dominating conversations among video game adaptations.
Released: Friday Sep 18, 2026
UK Release: Saturday Sep 26, 2026

How to Rob a Bank — 🎬 Cinema How to Rob a Bank is an upcoming heist action film directed by David Leitch, featuring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, Pete Davidson, Christian Slater, John C. Reilly, and Anna Sawai in key roles. The plot follows a team of bank robbers who livestream their audacious heists, while a veteran FBI agent and a tech-savvy engineer work together to stop them as their fame spirals out of control. The film's release has been postponed from its original early September slot, and it is now set to open in the United States and the United Kingdom in mid-November, generating buzz with recent trailers and pre-release coverage.
Released: Friday Nov 13, 2026

Practical Magic 2 — 🎬 Cinema Practical Magic 2 is a supernatural fantasy-romance sequel directed by Susanne Bier, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters Sally and Gilly Owens, joined by Joey King and Maisie Williams as Sally's daughters. The film follows the Owens family as they confront a long-standing curse tied to their magical heritage, with dark secrets and ancient spells coming to light. Since its release, critics have praised the reunion and atmosphere but largely felt it doesn't recapture the original's charm; audiences, however, have been more forgiving, and it topped both the U.S. and U.K. box offices on opening weekend.
Released: Friday Sep 11, 2026

Animals — 📺 Streaming Animals is a Netflix thriller film directed by and starring Ben Affleck, with Kerry Washington and Gillian Anderson co-starring. The plot follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped, triggering a crisis that strands family loyalty and moral compromise. It stands out as a high-profile streaming original with major star power and rising buzz going into October.
Released: Friday Oct 9, 2026

East of Eden — 📺 Streaming Netflix's adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novel launches as a seven-episode limited series, starring Florence Pugh as Cathy Ames alongside Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist. Zoe Kazan has adapted the epic saga tracing the Trask and Hamilton families in early 20th-century California. This series is one of the fall's most anticipated originals, offering a lush multigenerational drama with A-list talent and sweeping scope.
Released: Thursday Oct 1, 2026

NCIS — 📡 TV (USA) NCIS kicks off its 24th season on CBS with Michael Weatherly returning as Tony DiNozzo, airing Tuesday at 8pm ET/PT. The procedural drama follows a team investigating high-stakes crimes with a blend of tension and humour. Its longevity and return of a fan-favourite character make this premiere a key moment in the fall TV schedule.
Released: Tuesday Oct 6, 2026

Celebrity Traitors UK — 📡 TV (UK) Celebrity Traitors UK launches at 8pm on BBC One, bringing the hit psychological format to a starry cast including Michael Sheen, Richard E. Grant, Bella Ramsey, Ross Kemp and Rob Beckett as they compete in a game of trust, deception and elimination. With Joe Lycett and Romesh Ranganathan also among the celebrity line-up, it's shaping up to be one of the season's biggest talking points in British entertainment.
Released: Thursday Oct 1, 2026

Concerts

Happening in the next 7 days

🎤 Harry Styles — Together, TogetherArtist residency
Tonight: Wednesday Sep 30 at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.
This week: Friday Oct 2 at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York · Saturday Oct 3 at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.

🎤 Bruno Mars — The Romantic TourTonight: Wednesday Sep 30 at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California.
This week: Friday Oct 2 at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California · Saturday Oct 3 at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California · plus 1 more date this week.

🎤 SHAKIRA — LAS MUJERES YA NO LLORAN - RESIDENCIA EUROPEAThis week: Friday Oct 2 at ESTADIO SHAKIRA(Iberdrola Music), Madrid, Madrid, Spain · Saturday Oct 3 at ESTADIO SHAKIRA(Iberdrola Music), Madrid, Madrid, Spain · Saturday Oct 3 at Shakira Stadium, Madrid, Tarragona, Spain · plus 1 more date this week.

🎤 The Weeknd — After Hours Til Dawn TourThis week: Friday Oct 2 at National Stadium, Singapore, Singapore · Saturday Oct 3 at National Stadium, Singapore, Singapore.

🎤 Ed Sheeran — LOOP TourThis week: Saturday Oct 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia.

Events

Happening in the next 14 days

Microelectronics UK 2026 — 🎯 Conference — London, UK Microelectronics UK is the leading UK event for engineering, semiconductor, photonics and embedded systems professionals, showcasing over 175 exhibitors, more than 120 speakers and content across multiple stages including startup launches and technical forums. It takes place at ExCeL London; registration, event hours and tickets are detailed on the official Microelectronics UK website.
Dates: Tuesday Sep 29-Wednesday Sep 30, 2026

Aftershock Festival — 🎪 Festival — Sacramento, CA Tickets are available now with options for 4-day, 2-day and single-day general admission, VIP and Capital Club access; camping passes offered and official info at aftershockfestival.com.
Dates: Thursday Oct 1-Sunday Oct 4, 2026

Arizona State Fair — 🎪 Festival — Phoenix, Arizona The Arizona State Fair returns for a full month of entertainment, combining carnival rides, agricultural exhibits, food vendors and evening concerts under the lights at the Fairgrounds in Phoenix. Tickets are required for admission; the fair operates Thursdays through Sundays in early October and more information is available via its official website azstatefair.com.
Dates: Thursday Oct 1-Sunday Nov 1, 2026

State Fair of Virginia — 🎪 Festival — Doswell, Virginia An annual state fair focused on Virginia's agriculture, entertainment, youth programming, and scholarship competitions, featuring Midway rides, exhibits, and large-scale blue-ribbon showings. It draws significant regional and national interest as Virginia is agriculturally rich and this fair showcases both traditional and cultural local talent. Admission covers concerts and exhibits (though some attractions cost extra), fair runs daily from morning until evening.
Dates: Friday Sep 25-Sunday Oct 4, 2026

Daily Broadcast Prep is free for every broadcaster, radio host and podcaster. If it's made your show prep a little easier, please share it with friends and don't forget to bookmark Daily Broadcast Prep for fresh content every day. You're also very welcome to Buy Me a Coffee which helps to maintain the site's content. Thanks for supporting IanGardner.com

Home Studio Blog

The Home Studio Blog lets you explore in-depth articles on microphones, headphones, studio essentials, computers, televisions, home essentials, outdoor essentials and business resources.

There's also advice and information on a range of subjects including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, VoIP phones, computer terminology, TV history, MIDI and much more! - it's all free and updated regularly. You can also view the Blogs alphabetically here.

Refresh for another Home Studio Blog

Shop!

Building a Home Studio is more than just buying a microphone and a computer.

The Shop! pages are filled with useful products for both inside and outside your workspace.

Explore microphones, headphones, computers, portable speakers and more. Plus check out digital products to help your Studio Business grow.

Here's a randomly selected item from the Shop! pages. These products contain affiliate links which earn me a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting IanGardner.com

Refresh for another Shop! item

View Product

Shout Out Your Show

Daily Broadcast Prep will soon feature a randomly selected radio show or podcast from the broadcasting community.

Would you like your show or podcast featured here? Email your station or podcast name, a short description (max. 200 characters), a URL to listen (a direct stream link for radio stations, or a link to your episodes for podcasts), a URL to your station/show homepage and a portrait-style image (under 2MB) to Ian@IanGardner.com

Submissions are reviewed before appearing and inclusion isn't guaranteed. By submitting, you confirm that you have the right to share all material provided. Featured shows, stations and podcasts aren't endorsed by IanGardner.com, and listings may be removed at any time. Some links on this page lead to third-party websites, radio streams, and podcasts. IanGardner.com is not responsible for their content, availability, or operation.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026