Broadcasting
We all know the faces and voices of the most famous people working in
broadcasting: the Katie Courics, Anderson Coopers, and Howard Sterns of the
world. But for each one of these media darlings, there are hundreds of
relatively anonymous broadcasters working more niche or regionally focused
broadcast outlets. There are also hundreds of other folks who work behind
the scenes, doing things like producing broadcast segments, writing
broadcast scripts, operating cameras and other equipment, and applying
makeup to broadcasters before they go on the air.
What Broadcasting Is
From world news to local high school sports reporting to the countdown of
the top music videos on cable TV, broadcasting generally encompasses any
audio or visual programming that is disseminated to a large number of radio
or television receivers. Although that definition could be expanded to
include Web-based media outlets, this career profile focuses on
opportunities in radio and television news production and station
management.
What You'll Do
Broadcasting is a lot like other entertainment sectors. At the end of the
day, the success of a broadcast outlet like a TV or radio station depends
on its ability to entertain its audience, satisfy its audience's hunger
for information, or both.
Announcers, producers, directors, and everyone else must work together to
tailor a station's programming to attract the largest possible
audience, which in turn attracts advertising revenue or, in the case of
nonprofit stations, public funding and support. In smaller markets,
stations may also be responsible for producing ads.
Who Does Well
If you want to work in broadcasting, it helps to have a background in
journalism, communications, or production, depending on the position
you're after. But talent and skill alone may not be enough to succeed
in broadcasting—it takes a certain amount of business smarts and
determination to become the next Peter Jennings or Ted Turner, not to
mention serendipity and star quality.
In truth, the glamour jobs in broadcasting are few and far between, and the
competition for entry-level jobs is fierce. Many jobs in fact are unpaid
internships, and even permanent positions don't often pay very well,
and require grueling hours. If it's money you're after, you might
have more luck teaching in a public school.
Those with more realistic goals, however, can find creative and engaging
careers in broadcasting. Not everyone in the business gets the chance to
interview the president, but many more are satisfied by the opportunities
to speak with local political figures, produce new programs and
commercials, and get intimately involved in their communities.
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In the end, talent drives the broadcasting industry. The bottom line is
being able to attract an audience and do whatever it takes to keep it tuned
in.
Consequently, employers often couldn't care less where you studied or
how well you did on your English papers in college. Rather, they want to
know how well you can perform under pressure and whether you bring fresh
ideas and an ability to think creatively to the table. As in other
talent-driven professions, a portfolio of solid work and hard-earned
experience usually outweighs formal schooling.
That's not to say that formal education doesn't matter. Getting a
degree in communications or journalism from a university, or a broadcasting
associate's degree from a technical school, can provide that crucial
level of base skills needed just to land an interview. This is especially
true for people interested in pursuing news-related careers within
broadcasting, where a strong journalism background is the norm.
However, unlike the career path set out for doctors, certified public
accountants, or public schoolteachers, there's nothing that says you
even have to go to school to work in broadcasting.
Regardless of your background, it's imperative to build a portfolio as
quickly as possible, whether it's a demo tape of a mock broadcast put
together during class or samples of the show you hosted for your college
radio station.
Due to the talent-driven nature of the broadcasting industry, landing a job
at a larger station in a major metropolitan area without any experience is
next to impossible. Rather, most inexperienced job seekers start at smaller
stations in rural areas or small towns to get the experience they need to
work their way up the ladder. Unpaid internships are an extremely common
means of entry.
Even the superstars of broadcasting almost always come from humble
beginnings. Tom Brokaw, for instance, started his career at the age of 15
at a small local radio station in South Dakota.
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth in
broadcasting is projected to grow more slowly than job growth overall
between 2004 and 2014. That, plus ongoing heavy demand for jobs in this
field, means it will continue to be difficult to build a career in
broadcasting. Industry consolidation, the increased use of syndicated
content, and the substitution of technology for skilled labor will put
downward pressure on job growth in broadcasting careers.
However, there are some areas with better career possibilities in
broadcasting. Camera operation is a bright spot in terms of job growth,
with growth expected to outpace average job growth across all industries.
And the digital revolution makes it extremely difficult to predict the
shape of broadcasting moving forward. Already we're seeing the movie
and book businesses undergoing changes, as moviemakers and authors who
would have been unable to get their work to the screen or between the
covers in the past use cheaper digital technology to make their voices
heard. With so many cable TV channels out there, and so much programming
time to fill, there may be room for would-be broadcasters to get their work
on the air without having to go through traditional production channel.
Fast-growing geographic markets should also see better-than-average
broadcasting job opportunities. Metropolitan areas like the Las Vegas,
Phoenix, and other locations should see especially strong growth in
broadcasting career opportunities as they expand.
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At smaller stations, broadcast professionals usually wear more than one
hat. For instance, a single announcer might pull reports off the news wire,
write his or her own scripts, and help develop the advertisements, and then
deliver it all on the air. At larger stations, however, there's a
higher degree of specialization (which staff members at smaller stations
might call pampering).
On-Air Announcers
Announcers are the public personae of broadcasting. They tell the audience
what will be presented, read the news and weather reports, open and close
programs, introduce and read commercials, and sometimes moderate panel
discussions or interview guests.
At music-formatted radio stations, announcers are usually called disc
jockeys and provide commentary between songs. At television stations,
announcers are often hired as hosts for variety and talk shows.
In the context of broadcast news, announcers read and coordinate the
delivery of news reports. Both national and local television stations hire
news anchors to deliver the morning and evening news. News reporters are
involved not only with researching and writing stories, but also with their
on-air delivery.
Generally, professions in broadcast news are similar to those in print
journalism. Consequently, a strong background in journalism (either a
degree or commensurate experience) is usually a prerequisite.
Unlike their counterparts in print journalism, broadcast news professionals
are concerned with the on-air delivery of reports. Stations compete
fiercely to find news anchors and reporters with enough charisma to attract
viewers. Often looks, charm, and grace can outshine intellect in an
interview. And for those seeking television jobs, it might be a good idea
to add a regimen of Slim-Fast and health clubs to your journalism-textbook
reading.
Program Directors
Today the broadcasting industry is increasingly moving away from
programming for breadth (trying to reach as many viewers as possible, hence
broadcasting) toward more focused programming (often called narrowcasting)
that allows stations to tap into lucrative niche markets targeted by
advertisers.
Program directors are responsible for determining the content that will
best capture a market that a station is trying to reach, be it soccer moms,
angry teenagers, or thirty-something IT professionals. Ultimately, program
directors are responsible for a station's "feel," and work
closely with managers, marketers, and salespeople to tailor a station's
overall presentation.
At music-format radio stations, program directors are often called music
directors. They have every college freshman's dream job of picking the
music that a multitude of people will hear. At television stations, not
only are program directors involved in picking the shows that will run, but
also when they run, to attract the greatest number of viewers.
Producers
The passive listener or viewer may take for granted how smoothly a station
switches between various programs, news updates, commercials, and
station-identification segments. Producers, on the other hand, know
firsthand that a seamless presentation doesn't happen by itself.
Producers are responsible for integrating a station's varied content.
Producers coordinate the schedules of various departments such as news,
programming, and advertising, as well as assigning and managing the
workloads of announcers, writers, and even other producers. If a station
creates original content, producers oversee the production of shows and
commercials. At larger stations, a producer might be called a director.
Like their Hollywood counterparts, broadcasting producers need to focus on
the big picture in order to sew everything together and be able to
troubleshoot problems quickly as they arise.
Writers: News, Copy, and Script
While it's common for on-air announcers to ad-lib (often in
embarrassingly banal fashion, which keeps the “talking heads” stereotype
alive and well), the vast majority of broadcast content is prepared well
before show time. At smaller stations, it may be an announcer's job to
write his or her own material. At larger stations, however, staff members
usually help create original content.
News writers are in charge of writing news reports that will be read on-air
by announcers and reporters. While many broadcast reporters write and
report their own stories, at larger stations many are aided by news writers
who perform background research, interview sources, and adapt wire reports.
Since news writing for broadcast is quite similar to print journalism, a
strong background in journalism is often a prerequisite. Naturally, writers
who switch between print and broadcast media are not uncommon.
Copywriters think up the material used for commercials that are produced by
a station. While in larger cities, advertising firms create much on-air
advertising, in smaller communities, a large part of a station's
workload may involve creating commercials for local sponsors.
Scriptwriters are responsible for creating the material used during
original entertainment programs, such as variety shows, skits, or dramas.
Such positions are hard to come by and are usually available only at larger
stations.
Other Roles
In addition to the people who are responsible for creating on-air content,
there's an entire corps of professionals that manages the technical
aspects of broadcasting and makes sure a station gets paid for its efforts.
Such people include camera operators, engineers, and technical directors,
who set up and maintain equipment needed to broadcast; marketing
professionals who work to build an audience, and sales professionals who
sell ads that bring in the revenue necessary to keep a station running.
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Median salary ranges for those working in broadcasting are as follows:
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Camera operator: $16,000 to $76,000
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TV reporter: $20,000 to $95,000
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Broadcast technician: $25,000 to $80,000
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Technical director: $75,000 to $95,000
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Producer: $30,000 to $90,000