News

MediaPost has the details from a new Juniper Research study that says digital advertising revenue will double to $285 Billion by 2020. The study also says ad blocking is expected to cost publishers $27 billion in lost revenues in the next five years. The study also predicts mobile advertising is expected to grow by 64.2% through 2020.

The new deal includes all games being broadcast in WZGC-FM (The Game). Additionally, new Hawks-based content – across digital, social, and radio channels – for both 92.9 The Game and V-103, will be developed as part of the expanded partnership. Steve Holman will begin his 32nd year as the play-by-play announcer for the franchise in 2016-17.

Cumulus news station KARN in Little Rock reported on its website that anchor Donna Kelley passed away over the weekend from natural causes. She was 66. Market Manager Keith Liesmann wrote, "All of us at Cumulus are tremendously saddened by the sudden and shocking passing of Donna Kelley. Donna was an outstanding reporter/anchor who served with the highest degree of journalistic integrity at KARN for a decade and a half."

Midroll Media, which is owned by Scripps, has announced it will host a new podcast festival in late October in Anaheim. It's called "Now Hear This" and will feature Marc Maron, host of the popular WTF with Marc Maron podcast as one of its headliners.

Melissa Harrison will join Mike Rogers and Scott Sams as co-anchor of the KRLD (Dallas) morning news beginning Friday, July 1. Harrison has worked as a television news reporter in New York, Dallas, Birmingham, Jackson, Waco, and Abilene. She was most recently a freelance reporter for KXAS-TV in Dallas.

WGN in Chicago has signed a contract extension with Steve Cochran through 2020. He's hosted mornings since 2013. Cochran has also worked early morning hours in Miami, Baltimore, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and New York City. The Cochran Morning Show team includes co-anchor and reporter Andrea Darlas, news by Steve Grzanich, sports by Dave Eanet, and traffic by Mary Van De Velde.

Joan Hamburg does a lot of things extremely well. Wife, mother (she has a National Mother of the Year award for that), broadcaster, friend, advocate, and humanitarian. Joan Hamburg has succeeded at many roles throughout her storied career. And in 2016 she was named Radio Ink's MIW Legend.

Elizabeth Hamma started her radio career as a promotions director in Syracuse, NY. When she realized the salespeople were making good money on her ideas, she quickly moved into sales at WSYR. That decision would put Hamma on the fast track to success in the radio industry. Today she is an extremely successful manager in West Palm Beach working for Larry Wilson's Alpha Media. We caught up with Hamma recently to get her insight on what it takes to become a successful manager in radio today.

(By Jeff McHugh) Stay aware of the people you encounter and your biggest lessons in life and career may come from peers, perfect strangers, and momentary encounters. Here are some valuable things I learned along the way...