The Financial Times "expects to be primarily a digital mobile experience" within three to four years, according to managing director Rob Grimshaw.  "I think the switch to mobile is bigger in magnitude than the switch from print to desktop, in terms of what it means for the way people consume content, and it’s happening faster," he tells Arif Durrani. Will FT be ready for the change? Though the "brand is often credited with having managed the digital transition better than most traditional publishers," Durrani writes, Grimshaw tells him, "I would never be comfortable in saying that we are ready. But …

The number of Internet-connected TVs in the world will almost triple by 2017, growing from nearly 212 million this year to  600 million in 2017, according to just-released report from Digital TV Research, which covers 40 countries. The U.S. should have the highest penetration of such sets by that time -- 38% -- and "deficiencies [in the product] are likely to be addressed reasonably soon as connected TV becomes mainstream," according to the report.

Think this year's political campaigns hit the ceiling on ad inventory and rates? Nah, writes Cotton Delo: "Even if all inventory were maxed out, that doesn't mean spending won't continue to climb" in 2016. For example, "more money could be spent on TV ads for presidential candidates in 2016 if rates paid by Super PACs such as Restore Our Future and 501(c)(4)s like Americans for Prosperity soar higher." And here's a horrible thought: "One last conceivable way for ad spending to climb in 2016 is if candidates decide to start bombarding the airwaves even earlier than they did …

NBC Universal is teaming with American Express to create a feature on social TV app Zeebox that lets TV viewers buy "products 'inspired by' NBC Universal programs directly from a mobile device while the programs are airing," writes Brian Steinberg. NBCU, which owns a share in Zeebox, is also working on more of such ad and retail packages.

NYC Community Media, which publishes five local weekly papers targeted to lower Manhattan and Chelsea, is launching NY Reconnects.  The weekly pub is aimed at helping downtown Manhattanites recover from the superstorm Sandy with features on how people are coping, along with  "a comprehensive guide to resources for everything from food and housing to activities for keeping children busy," writes Matthew Flamm. Publication is planned for at least several months, or or "until people are back where they need to be," says the company's new owner and publisher Jennifer Goodstein.

NBC won the ratings race for last night's prime-time broadcast TV election coverage, with an average of 12.56 million viewers, according to "fast affiliate returns," with ABC second at an average 11.15 million viewers, and CBS third with an average of 8.42 million viewers. When it comes to the cable nets, CNN led  "in the preliminary Nielsen ratings from 7pm-2am," followed by Fox and MSNBC, writes Robert Seldman. And speaking of the latter two networks, Tuesday night again provided more evidence of "the partisan bitterness on cable news," which "has never been as stark …

Some folks actually make a good living from political ads -- notably voiceover actors, two of whom are profiled in this interesting feature. "Can I just confess I love doing negative spots?" notes Jane Lueders, whose voice provides "the well-modulated and ubiquitous expression of Democratic anger, hurt, frustration, vulnerability, righteousness and quaking betrayal," writes Elizabeth Williamson. Her Republican counterpart, Sheldon Smith, admits that "the work can be lonely," since he works alone in his recording booths at home, among those who get the message out "either over a special phone line or by emailing a digital file," according to Williamson.

Netflix's board took steps to ward off a hostile corporate takeover by setting up a "poison pill" plan that would be"triggered if an 'activist shareholder' acquired 10 percent of the stock, or an institutional investor bought 20 percent, Jonathan Friedland, a company spokesman," told writer Cliff Edwards. Corporate big gun Carl Icahn had previously said "he holds stock and options representing 5.54 million shares and that the video service is an attractive target for larger companies," though "Netflix has received no takeover offer and has had no discussions with Icahn."

Cloud-based TV without a set-top box? That's what Swedish-based Magine, now in beta form, will provide: "premium live and time-shifted TV channels through its iPad, iPhone and internet TV apps and its website," writes Robert Andrews. "Although channels streamed through Magine can be slung to an Apple TV box through AirPlay, its pitch is that this is pay TV for an era in which the network and handheld devices have become powerful."

House Beautiful is "arguably among the most advanced" in its print-to-mobile strategy, writes Steve Smith "In each issue just the editorial side has 8 to 11 instances where content is enhanced with video that lives on the phone as well as on the Web and in the tablet editions."  Mag strategists began the program after discovering that 90% of readers had their phones nearby when reading an issues, and "the share of users who are actively using the mobile app with each month’s issue is 'small but growing incredibly. The numbers are three to five times larger than last year,' …