List of Radio Careers
Despite the popularity of cable and satellite television, handheld entertainment devices, Internet-based media of all forms and radio--both terrestrial and satellite--still commands millions of listeners each day. On-air personalities are just one component of a radio station's staff. Other potential careers exist in management, programming, sales, promotions and engineering.
Administration - General Manager
The General Manager (GM) sits atop the food chain at most radio stations, according to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Guide to Radio Careers. In order to get this gig, you will need to work in radio for a while. Most GMs rise through the ranks of either sales or programming to the top spot.
A radio station general manager oversees the key departments at a station, including sales, programming, promotions, and engineering. The GM is the final decision maker at a radio station and sets the tone for the rest of the staff. According to the NAB guide, a college degree is a prerequisite for general managers, and many even hold MBAs.
Programming - Program Director
Radio programming departments used to employ three people: an operations manager, a program director, and an assistant program director. As station consolidation has taken hold, though, most stations simply have a program director, who is often in charge of programming at multiple stations.
As the NAB guide notes, program directors work with on-air personalities and help foster the image of the station by coming up with clever promotions. At talk and music stations alike, they are responsible for giving a station its "sound" or "feel." At music stations without a music director--and it is becoming commonplace to not have a music director--programmers are in charge of the songs a station plays.
On-Air Staff/Production
Many radio stations, particularly talk radio stations, have news departments. The news department is run by a news director. The news director, in most cases, anchors newscasts on the station. He manages a staff of news anchors and reporters. Some stations employ individuals who solely report on sports. A sports reporter anchors sportscasts on a station and also covers local teams.
On-air personalities run the gamut from highly-paid morning and afternoon drive talents in major markets to hourly, part-time announcers and disc jockeys on stations in cities and towns of all sizes. The NAB Guide puts it well: "The road to stardom today is more challenging than ever, due to revolutions in technology and consolidation among radio stations." Further support of this statement is provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.) The BLS reports the median hourly wage of radio (and television) announcers was $12.95 in May 2008.
Producers and board operators are integral parts of a radio station's programming and production staff. Often these two jobs are melded into one. Frequently, though, at big market radio stations, a producer works with the air talent of a particular show by booking guests and devising content for the program. At times, a producer plays a key role as an on-air personality of a show. In some situations the producer does all or part of the board operator's job, which includes answering the phones and running the control board in the radio studio.
Sales
A sales staff at a radio station is guided by a director of sales, responsible for hiring a national and local sales team. A general sales manager directly oversees the national sales manager (directly responsible for national sales accounts and ad agencies) and the local sales manager (directly responsible for local accounts and ad agencies.) These managers direct a staff of account executives, who work at varying levels (e.g., senior, junior, assistant). Account executives sell air time on the radio station in the form of 30 and 60 second commercial spots as well as other sponsorship opportunities such as live broadcasts from a place of business. Account executives make a bulk of their money through commission.
Promotions
A promotions director heads up a radio promotions department, envisioning and executing, logistically, radio station events. Under a promotion director are promotions assistants responsible for actually setting up and breaking down promotional materials that are erected at events. Promotion assistants are often college students and other part-timers paid at the minimum wage or slightly above. Working in promotions is a good way to get your foot in the door at a radio station.
Engineering
A director of engineering and/or chief engineer oversees a staff of engineers at most radio stations. Engineers are responsible for the technical components of a radio station. If equipment breaks, they troubleshoot and fix it. At live remote broadcasts, they are responsible for setting up and breaking down broadcast equipment and making sure the broadcast goes along smoothly. They are also in charge of maintaining the radio station's broadcast transmission tower.
Front Office
Like other businesses, radio stations have a front office. The front office, usually comprised of an accountant, administrative and executive assistants, and a receptionist, often work for multiple stations within a group in today's radio environment.
Satellite Radio
Satellite radio operates in a similar hierarchical fashion as terrestrial radio stations. The exception is that a satellite company produces several stations as a part of their overall programming package. Each station or set of stations is programmed and staffed by individuals with titles and functions similar to those mentioned above.
Tags: radio station, radio stations, manager directly, Radio Careers, sales manager