National Day
National Taco Day (USA)
It now falls annually on the first Tuesday of October, which makes this year’s National Taco Day land on a Tuesday so restaurants and fans can tie in the celebration with Taco Tuesday promotions.
German-American Day (USA)
Marks the founding of Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1683, and celebrates the heritage of the largest ancestry group in the U.S.
National Noodle Day (USA)
Honors the nearly 4,000-year history of noodles with roots traced to ancient China and celebrated through creative pasta dishes and noodle recipes across the country.
National Badger Day (UK)
Organised by the Badger Trust to raise awareness of badgers' role in ecosystems and to highlight the ongoing issue of badger persecution and wildlife crime in the UK.
International Geodiversity Day (International)
Proclaimed by UNESCO to highlight the essential value of Earth’s diverse geological features and promote understanding of the dynamic processes that shape the planet.
Birthdays
Addison Rae (26)
Addison Rae is an American singer, actress, and social media personality. She gained fame through TikTok, where she became one of the platform's most-followed users. Addison has also ventured into acting, starring in the Netflix film 'He's All That'.
Tommy Stinson (60)
Tommy Stinson is an American rock musician best known as the bassist for The Replacements. He joined The Replacements at the age of 11, making him one of the youngest musicians to gain fame in a major rock band. After The Replacements, he played bass for Guns N' Roses for several years.
David Hidalgo (72)
David Hidalgo is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. Los Lobos gained mainstream success with their cover of 'La Bamba', which topped the charts in the 1980s. Hidalgo is known for his versatility, playing multiple instruments including guitar, accordion, and violin.
Elisabeth Shue (63)
Elisabeth Shue is an American actress known for her roles in films like 'The Karate Kid', 'Back to the Future Part II', and 'Leaving Las Vegas'. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role in 'Leaving Las Vegas'. Shue also starred in the popular TV series 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'.
Emily Mortimer (55)
Emily Mortimer is a British actress known for her roles in films such as 'Lars and the Real Girl' and 'Shutter Island'. She has also starred in the critically acclaimed HBO series 'The Newsroom'. Mortimer is known for her versatility and has worked in both British and American film industries.
On This Day
🎵 Music
Johnny Mathis released his first Christmas album ‘Merry Christmas’ in 1958, marking the start of annual holiday music traditions and it became one of the best-selling albums of its kind.
🎵 Music
Madonna dropped her debut single ‘Everybody’ in 1982, introducing a dance track that would herald the rise of one of pop music’s biggest icons.
🎵 Music
Robert John’s ballad ‘Sad Eyes’ hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1979, ending the six-week reign of ‘My Sharona’ and becoming his signature hit.
🌟 Pop Culture
The film ‘The Jazz Singer’ premiered in 1927, ushering in the era of movies with synchronized dialogue and changing Hollywood forever.
🌟 Pop Culture
Astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz announced the discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star, 51 Pegasi b, in 1995, expanding humanity’s view of other worlds.
🌟 Pop Culture
Jason Lewis completed Expedition 360, the first successful human-powered circumnavigation of the globe, concluding a journey that began in 1994.
Movies & TV
Digger — 🎬 Cinema
Digger is a biting and ambitious satirical black comedy from Alejandro G. Iñárritu, with Tom Cruise leading a powerhouse ensemble including John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, and Riz Ahmed. Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, the most powerful man alive, racing to prove he’s humanity’s savior before a catastrophe of his own making threatens to consume everything. Critical consensus is mixed—some hail its urgency and visual style while others find its tone overblown.
Released: Friday Oct 2, 2026
Released: Friday Oct 2, 2026
Verity — 🎬 Cinema
This psychological romance thriller adapts Colleen Hoover’s novel under Michael Showalter’s direction, with Anne Hathaway playing bestselling author Verity Crawford and Dakota Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, a writer hired to finish Verity’s series but who uncovers chilling truths. Josh Hartnett rounds out the leads, bringing tension to the story as secrets between fiction and reality begin to blur.
Released: Friday Oct 2, 2026
Released: Friday Oct 2, 2026
Resident Evil — 🎬 Cinema
Resident Evil is a horror-action reboot written and directed by Zach Cregger, starring Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, and Kali Reis. It follows medical courier Bryan who becomes trapped in Raccoon City amid a gruesome viral outbreak and must battle infected creatures and unravel Umbrella Corporation’s secrets. The film opened to record-setting box office numbers for the franchise, earning strong critical acclaim (around 95-96% on the Tomatometer) and positive audience response, making it one of the best live-action video game adaptations to date.
Released: Friday Sep 18, 2026
UK Release: Saturday Sep 26, 2026
Released: Friday Sep 18, 2026
UK Release: Saturday Sep 26, 2026
Forgotten Island — 🎬 Cinema
Forgotten Island is a richly animated adventure co-directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, starring H.E.R. and Liza Soberano as best friends Jo and Raissa who travel to a mythic island rooted in Filipino folklore where they risk losing their shared memories to get home. The film opened in US theaters at the end of September to strong reviews and a solid CinemaScore, but its box office opening was modest compared to expectations. It is still playing theatrically and has not yet been made available for streaming or digital purchase.
Released: Friday Sep 25, 2026
UK Release: Friday Oct 16, 2026
Released: Friday Sep 25, 2026
UK Release: Friday Oct 16, 2026
NCIS: New York: Season 1 — 📡 TV (USA)
NCIS: New York: Season 1 premieres on CBS at 9 pm ET with LL COOL J returning to action as Special Agent Sam Hanna who’s called back to his hometown to partner with Scott Caan in a fresh-faced NCIS team. It’s one of the new dramas launching in CBS’s fall schedule among returning network stalwarts.
Released: Tuesday Oct 6, 2026
Released: Tuesday Oct 6, 2026
Carrie — 📺 Streaming
Carrie is a brand-new eight-episode reimagining of Stephen King’s iconic novel, adapted for television by Mike Flanagan. Lead actors include newcomer Summer H. Howell as Carrie, with Samantha Sloyan playing her tormented mother and Katee Sackhoff in a supporting role. It arrives exclusively on Prime Video, marking the first ever series version of King’s horror classic.
Released: Wednesday Oct 7, 2026
Released: Wednesday Oct 7, 2026
The Party — 📡 TV (UK)
The Party is a brand new British drama on BBC One at 9pm exploring the shocking events of a birthday party and the police investigation that follows, with flashbacks to the main characters’ earlier lives. Written by and starring Sarah Solemani, it also features Luke Evans, Joanna Scanlan and Tom Cullen.
Released: Sunday Oct 11, 2026
Released: Sunday Oct 11, 2026
Concerts
🎤 Bruno Mars — The Romantic TourTonight: Tuesday Oct 6 at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California.
This week: Wednesday Oct 7 at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California · Saturday Oct 10 at Levi's® Stadium, Santa Clara, California · plus 1 more date this tour.
This week: Wednesday Oct 7 at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California · Saturday Oct 10 at Levi's® Stadium, Santa Clara, California · plus 1 more date this tour.
🎤 Doja Cat — Tour Ma Vie World TourTonight: Tuesday Oct 6 at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri.
This week: Thursday Oct 8 at Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado · Saturday Oct 10 at Canyon View Credit Union Stage at Maverik Center, West Valley City, Utah.
This week: Thursday Oct 8 at Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado · Saturday Oct 10 at Canyon View Credit Union Stage at Maverik Center, West Valley City, Utah.
🎤 Weezer — The GatheringTonight: Tuesday Oct 6 at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio.
This week: Wednesday Oct 7 at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Friday Oct 9 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee · plus 1 more date this tour.
This week: Wednesday Oct 7 at Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Friday Oct 9 at Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee · plus 1 more date this tour.
🎤 The Smashing Pumpkins — The Rats In A Cage TourTonight: Tuesday Oct 6 at PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
This week: Wednesday Oct 7 at TD Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada · Friday Oct 9 at Centre Bell, Montreal, Quebec, Canada · plus 1 more date this tour.
This week: Wednesday Oct 7 at TD Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada · Friday Oct 9 at Centre Bell, Montreal, Quebec, Canada · plus 1 more date this tour.
🎤 Mumford & Sons — Prizefighter TourTonight: Tuesday Oct 6 at Kia Forum, Inglewood, California.
This week: Wednesday Oct 7 at Kia Forum, Inglewood, California.
This week: Wednesday Oct 7 at Kia Forum, Inglewood, California.
Events
Cheltenham Literature Festival — 🎯 Conference — Cheltenham, England
A 10-day gathering of writers, thinkers and public figures, the Cheltenham Literature Festival offers talks, readings and workshops in one of the UK’s oldest and largest literary events. Tickets and full programme details are available via the official Cheltenham Festivals website.
Dates: Friday Oct 9-Sunday Oct 18, 2026
Dates: Friday Oct 9-Sunday Oct 18, 2026
Austin City Limits Music Festival (Weekend Two) — 🎪 Festival — Austin, Texas
ACL returns to Zilker Park for its second three-day weekend (October 9-11) of its 25th anniversary edition, with more than 100 artists across nine stages. Charli XCX, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde and The xx headline both weekends, while Kings of Leon take the Weekend Two-exclusive headline slot (Skrillex played Weekend One). Weekend Two also features Natasha Bedingfield. Gates open 12pm-10pm daily; tickets, schedule and safety info are on the official ACL website.
Dates: Friday Oct 9-Sunday Oct 11, 2026
Dates: Friday Oct 9-Sunday Oct 11, 2026
UCI Gravel World Championships — 🏆 Sports — Nannup, Australia
The world’s premier gravel cycling competition returns to Nannup in Western Australia with elite women and men competing over highly challenging routes, including over 80% gravel terrain and steep elevation drops. Fans can follow all races live via the official championships website and UCI’s online channels.
Dates: Saturday Oct 10-Sunday Oct 11, 2026
Dates: Saturday Oct 10-Sunday Oct 11, 2026
Fall for Greenville — 🎪 Festival — Greenville, South Carolina
Bank of America Fall for Greenville is a free-admission food and music festival where over 50 local restaurants and more than 80 musical acts take over downtown Greenville; notable for its massive variety of dishes and multiple stages of live entertainment. The festival is ticketless but food and drink are paid for individually; official guide and schedule are available on the Fall for Greenville website.
Dates: Friday Oct 9-Sunday Oct 11, 2026
Dates: Friday Oct 9-Sunday Oct 11, 2026
Great American Beer Festival — 🎪 Festival — Denver, Colorado
The Great American Beer Festival is the premier craft beer celebration in the USA, featuring over 500 breweries and more than 2,000 beers in a reimagined outdoor setting at Levitt Pavilion with live music and food trucks adding to the festivities. Tickets are now available with single-day sessions and two-day passes for adults aged 21+, and more information can be found on the festival’s official website greatamericanbeerfestival.com.
Dates: Saturday Oct 10-Sunday Oct 11, 2026
Dates: Saturday Oct 10-Sunday Oct 11, 2026
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.
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
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.