Broadcast Radio Jobs Key Terms

Find out more about various broadcast radio jobs by learning the key terms
By M. Worcester Radio is still a technical field and, as such, has a language you may not be familiar with. This jargon includes the names of many of jobs in this field, which is why you can benefit from knowing broadcast radio jobs key terms. Radio stations have various departments, and the jobs involved range from technical to managerial to content to sales. People with many different skills and training can find a job to suit them in broadcast radio.

Station manager

The station manager, sometimes called the general manager, is the person in charge of the radio station. The radio station manager oversees all departments of the radio station. If a larger company or corporation owns the radio station, the station manager reports to an executive at that organization.
Try:  Read a description of the station manager's job, as well as the training, career path and expected salary range, at JobMonkey.

Program director

The radio station's program director is often like a second-in-command, overseeing all of the actual programming for the radio station. Whether the station broadcasts music, news, sports or talk shows, the program director is in charge of what goes on the air. This person schedules the various time slots and oversees production of the radio content.
Try:  Find out more about a career as a radio program director at the Entertainment Career Connection.

Announcer

Radio announcers are the voice of the radio station, and they become the personality of the station as well. They may introduce songs, talk about sporting events, do commercials, read the news and weather or do general commentary.
Try:  Read an in-depth explanation of a radio announcer's job, including the responsibilities, training, salary and other factors, at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Account executive, sales representative

Account executives bring in the money that makes radio stations possible. Most radio stations profit from advertising revenue, and account executives are the sales people who sell those ads. Sales representatives, or sales reps, show businesses how advertising on the radio station will benefit their business.
Try:  Find a list of radio careers, including account executives, at Specs Howard. Consult another list of radio jobs with definitions for each at the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations.

Broadcast engineer

Broadcast engineers are the technical people who make the recordings, make sure they play at the right time and make the magic happen that allows the radio signal to go out over the airwaves. They can also be responsible for fixing and maintaining the equipment. Depending on the size of the station, there will be any number of technicians with varying levels of experience and responsibility. With the advent of digital technology, engineers use computers for more and more of this work.
Try:  Read an extensive explanation of a broadcast engineer's job, including training requirements and income information, at CareerOverview.com.

Broadcast technician

Broadcast technicians are low-level engineers or engineers in training. They work under supervision of the engineers, and as they gain experience they may work their way up in responsibilities.
Try:  Find a brief description of a broadcast technician's responsibilities at Independent Learning Centre.