Positions Within A Radio Station

There are many job positions within a Radio Station that combine to achieve the end product that you hear coming out of your speakers. A Radio Station requires a great deal of planning and coordination by a dedicated team of professionals. Following is a brief description of some of the positions within a Radio Station.

ANNOUNCERS
Announcers are the final link in the radio chain before broadcast.  They're responsible for ultimately having control of what goes to air, combining all the other elements like music, news and commercials to make the product that comes out of your speakers as entertaining as possible.  Announcers need to be able to thing quickly, not mind working ridiculous hours and be able to sit in a padded room talking to themselves for hours on end without going crazy, or more importantly, driving the listeners crazy.

COPY WRITERS
Copy Writers are responsible for writing the scripts for commercials.  They also have to write station promotional advertisements and come up with new and original ideas so that everything sounds fresh.  People in this job have to be very creative and have a good command of English.  Spelling skills also come in handy.

FINANCIAL CONTROLLER / ACCOUNTANT
The Financial Controller or Accountant is responsible for looking after all station accounts.  These include billing clients, paying bills, payroll and book keeping.  They look after the purchasing of everything from coffee to furniture.  They also sign all the cheques, so it's always a good idea to be nice to them.

JOURNALISTS
Journalists collect, research and prepare news as well as present it.  Most journalists have had formal training of some kind.  They also require a clear speaking voice, good command of English and have excellent research skills.

MUSIC DIRECTORS
The Music Director looks after all the music that a station plays.  They have to make sure they've got all the new releases, listen to them, decide which ones to play, time them and program them into the computer.  They set the rules that the computer must follow when selecting songs to be played on air, and the computer printout given to the announcer telling them which songs to play is called a music log.

PRODUCERS
Producers are responsible for recording and producing all recorded commercials and station promotional material that go to air.  They have to ensure that all required commercials are available for the announcers to play.  People in this position often have Audio Engineering or Sound Production qualifications.

PROGRAM DIRECTORS
The Program Director is responsible for everything that happens on the air.  They choose what format a station uses, design presentation and features and are in charge of all the announcers, including the hiring and firing.  They have to supervise the promotions, music and news departments so everything goes together as smoothly as possible on the air.

PROMOTIONS MANAGERS
Promotions Managers are responsible for organising and running all the station's promotional activities, competitions and giveaways.  They are a vital link between the sales and programming departments making sure that both areas always know what the other is doing.

RECEPTIONIST / OFFICE ASSISTANT
Like most businesses, radio stations rely heavily on their receptionist and office assistants to keep the office running smoothly.  Aside from the obvious duties of typing, filing and answering phones, they have to distribute prizes to competition winners and handle all manner of enquiries from listeners about things like lost and founds and community service announcements.  They also make sure that we never run out of stationery, paper clips or staples.

SALES REPRESENTATIVES
The way a radio station makes money is by selling advertising and sales representatives do just that.  This includes going out to see clients, booking advertising and instructing copy writers on what needs to be said on the commercials.  Sales representatives usually earn a commission on the amount of advertising they sell.

TECHNICIANS
Technicians are responsible for making sure that all the station's complex equipment is working correctly and fixing anything that isn't.  They also have to install and replace equipment as required and maintain studios and transmitters.  Technicians are usually on call 24 hours a day and have had extensive technical and electronics training.

TRAFFIC / SCHEDULE MANAGERS
Traffic / Schedules is the part of a radio station that controls the scheduling of all advertising that has to go to air.  This means they have to log which commercials have to be played, at what time and in which commercial break, making sure that all the ads get played in the right place at the right time.  Computer skills are a definite advantage in this job.
 

 

For more information about getting your career in Radio launched, simply contact your nearest Careers Advisor or local Radio Station. Traineeships and cadetships are offered at a limited number of stations around the country.