Traditional radio and television isn’t what it used to be. With the advent of cable and satellite TV, portable video and music players (think iPod, PSP, and video phones), podcasts/cellular video (Vcasts by Verizon, CV or Cingular Video, HBO Mobile and so on), Internet/streaming video (from CNN to YouTube), the rise of satellite and high-definition or HD radio and all their accompanying stations, and the ongoing proliferation of accessibile high-tech equipment -- there is seemingly no end to the opportunities available to the broadcast professional.

There are so many directions to go take; the real trick is deciding what path is the one for you.

By rotating jobs and responsibilities in the radio labs and television studios at the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, students not only acquire a well-rounded skill set that makes them more employable, but also become more confident in setting a course for their career.

In other words, you will try a lot of jobs on for size. Do you want to be a radio talk show host? A videographer? A television producer? A director? An editor? A DJ?

You’ll accrue the personal experience you need as a student to determine your strengths. You may even discover you have a passion for a job you didn’t know about before.

CAREERS IN RADIO

The following is a just a short list of the more traditional job titles available in today’s radio and television industries:

Announcers, DJs & Air Talent by any of these names and more, perform a similar function – they host a radio show or air shift. Depending on the station’s format, the person may serve as a talk show host, disc jockey, sportscaster or news reporter.

Commercial Announcers do voice-overs for commercials, station IDs and narration for special programming. Many DJs do voice work in addition to their on-air shift or on a freelance basis.

News Reporters gather, write and report news, traffic and weather. News is the foundation for talk radio while music-based radio may squeeze it into a morning show or some other time during the day. Many stations depend on affiliates or outside news services (which also employ news reporters) to provide live feeds and/or stories to read on the air.

Program Directors shape a radio station’s overall image, content, and market position by selecting and monitoring air talent and working closely with their staffs. Format, ratings, research and competition are common buzzwords associated with the job.

Music Directors anticipate the musical tastes of their audience to hold and draw in desired listeners. New artists, new singles, research, adds, drops & spins (what and how much gets played) help music directors keep stations sounding fresh.

Promotion Directors promote interaction between the station and its audience through contests, event sponsorships and live remotes. The aim of promotions is to maximize the station’s visibility within the market to generate new listeners and foster audience loyalty.

Production Directors are the recording artists of the radio industry. The ingredients of every ad, segment and recorded program include vocals, sound effects and music. Production directors write scripts, direct talent, record voice-overs and finally mix it all together to form a finished product. They also schedule studio time, arrange recording sessions and direct programs.

Board Operators operate the controls in the studio or on location and keep content flowing smoothly between announcers, live feeds, news reports, commercials, music and other pre-recorded material. Recording, editing and archiving also go with the job.

Producers provide air talent with material to use during a particular air shift (morning show), special program (talk show) or news feature. Producers brainstorm ideas, write scripts, research information, make contacts, handle call-ins, set up interviews, and often contribute on-air.

CAREERS IN VIDEO

Producers oversee all elements of a program, news segment or commercial at a TV station or video production facility. Generating ideas, weighing their merit, finding or writing scripts, raising money or acquiring company or client approval, selecting technical and creative personnel, and adhering to a budget are high on this job’s to-do list.

Directors lead a production by orchestrating the creative and technical functions of all personnel to form the finished product. As captain of the team, the director coordinates the players on the set, paying particular attention to the timing and flow of the action.

Technical Directors operate the switcher that determines which incoming video signals are output and provide transitions (cuts, fades, dissolves, etc.) between cameras and other video sources during live or real-time productions. Setting up special effects and testing equipment is also necessary to the job.

Camera Operators set up and operate equipment on the set and in the field with the emphasis on angle, composition, precision, and mobility. In the news studio, camera operators set up shots at the request of the director, while the field allows for more creative license.

Floor Directors communicate a director’s instructions to the talent by using specific hand signals. They also may make adjustments to the set, provide props, assist camera operators and talent and generally act as the director’s “voice” in the studio.

Lighting Directors oversee the set-up, arrangement and selection of lighting on the set with attention to mood, set arrangement and picture quality.

Audio Engineers control the addition and subtraction of audio sources (microphones, music, sound effects, etc.) and sound levels during a production through an audio mixer or board.

Production Assistants provide support to key personnel. Tasks typically include running errands, carrying/setting up equipment, coordinating talent, making phone calls, arranging interviews, and dubbing and delivering tapes.

Editors assemble stories from raw footage, voice-overs, music and sound effects. Editorial judgment and speed are required in the newsroom, while commercial productions usually follow a script and/or storyboard. Due to the nature of reviewing, selecting and re-recording hours of videotape, most editors take direction but work independently.

News Directors determine and assign news stories to be covered each day by anchors and field staff. Investigating news leads, reassigning field staff to accommodate breaking news, and balancing journalistic integrity while developing content to boost ratings are primary requirements of the job.
News Writers gather, research and write news stories to supplement stories written by reporters and anchors.

News Reporters take the show on location to report news and/or feature stories. They may be solo artists -- acting as driver, talent, cameraperson and editor -- or as part of a small crew. Field reports may be pre-recorded and packaged before airing or transmitted live by satellite, usually from a
company van.

News Anchors deliver news live on-camera from the studio. As regular hosts of the daily news, anchors are the most high profile members of the cast and often attain some celebrity status. Most begin their careers as news reporters to gain necessary experience. However, appearance, voice and diction play significant roles in its attainment.

Promotion/Creative Directors maximize the station’s visibility in the market and foster audience trust and loyalty by co-sponsoring community and charity events. They also create all in-house advertising to promote the station’s regular and upcoming programs and special reports that air with commercials.

CAREERS IN RADIO & VIDEO

Sales Managers hire and motivate a staff of salespeople to attain department goals. Managers assist reps on sales calls, resolve client issues, create specials for advertisers, prepare budgets and utilize employee incentives to promote growth in designated areas.

Account Executives/Managers sell advertising space and maintain rapport with advertisers. To generate business, reps make cold calls by phone and in person to establish relationships with prospective advertisers. Building and presenting proposals, coordinating the production of ads, and providing regular service to clients go with the territory.

Traffic Managers collect data from the sales and programming departments to prepare a minute-by-minute schedule for each broadcast day. As the link between the two departments, the log keeps everyone informed of where commercial time has and has not been sold. After the fact, traffic managers confirm whether or not an ad ran as scheduled for billing purposes.

Chief Engineers are responsible for a television or radio station’s technical facilities, equipment and services.

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