Broadcasting 

Career and Major Information
Related Career Titles
Web Sites
Salary Information 

 

Walters State Community College offers an Associate of Arts degree in Broadcasting.  This degree is designed to fulfill freshman and sophomore level course requirements of a bachelor’s degree; however, the curriculum is not specific for any one college or university.  Students will need to consult a faculty advisor at WSCC or an advisor at the intended transfer institution for particular courses needed at an individual school.  The link for the WSCC department is: http://www.ws.edu/humanities/.

 

Career and Major Information:

 

Careers in broadcasting can include announcing, broadcast or sound engineering, and news analysis and/or reporting.  Competition for these careers is expected to be strong.  Weekend work and irregular hours are characteristic of these positions.

 

Announcers in radio and television are expected to accomplish several tasks.  They introduce and close programs, read prepared scripts or ad-lib commentary to present news, sports, weather, time and commercials, and may prepare scripts if research and writing are required.  Their working conditions are usually comfortable, but their hours may be long and unusual.  Schedule constraints can be stressful, but the satisfaction of becoming widely known may outweigh disadvantages.  Formal training from a college or technical school is desired.  A pleasant voice, good timing, excellent pronunciation and correct grammar usage are required.  Computer literacy and an appealing personality are musts. 

 

Broadcast and sound engineering technicians operate, install, and repair the electronic equipment used to record and transmit radio and television programs and motion pictures.  They may also produce movie soundtracks and control the sound in concerts.  Their equipment regulates the sound and clarity of a broadcast, and they give technical directions to other personnel.  They may work inside a studio or outside in all kinds of weather during live broadcasts.  Evening, weekend, and holiday work is usual.  The highest paying jobs are concentrated in large cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC.  Employers in these fields often prefer training from a technical school, community college, or four-year program, although radio operators and audio and video equipment technicians may substitute on-the-job-training. 

 

News analysts, reporters and correspondents gather information and keep us informed about local, national and international events.  The work is usually stressful due to deadlines and hectic schedules.  Some news coverage is done in dangerous circumstances.  A bachelor’s degree in journalism is desired, but some other majors are considered if the applicant has experience with news organizations.  Subject matter specialties are marketable for particular news expertise, such as economics, political science, or business.  Word processing, computer graphics, and desktop publishing skills are useful, and an internship with a news agency or newspaper is advantageous.

 

Related Career Titles:

 

Interpreters                                         

Translators                                          

Salesmen                                            

Public Relations Specialists

Teachers

Actors

Entertainers

Engineering Technicians

Science Technicians

Electrical Installers

Electronics Repairers

Communications Equipment Operators

 

Related Web Sites:

 

Radio and Television News Directors Foundation

http://www.rtndf.org

 

National Association of Broadcasters

http://www.nab.org

 

National Newspaper Association

http://www.nnafoundation.org

 

Society of Broadcast Engineers

http://www.sbe.org

 

Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers

http://www.smpte.org

 

Occupational Outlook Handbook

http://stats.bls.gov/oco/

 

 

Salary Information:

Salaries in broadcasting vary widely, but generally are relatively low, except for announcers who work for large stations in major markets or for networks. Earnings are higher in television than in radio and higher in commercial than in public broadcasting.

Median hourly earnings of announcers in 2002 were $9.91. The middle 50 percent earned between $7.13 and $15.10.

 

Median annual earnings of broadcast technicians in 2002 were $27,760. The middle 50 percent earned between $18,860 and $45,200. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $14,600, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $65,970.

Salaries for news analysts, reporters, and correspondents vary widely. Median annual earnings of news analysts, reporters, and correspondents were $30,510 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $22,350 and $47,170. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,620, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $69,450. Median annual earnings of news analysts, reporters, and correspondents were $33,320 in radio and television broadcasting and $29,090 in newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers in 2002.

Salary figures quoted are based on national figures. Local or regional salaries may be lower.

 

Citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, News Analysts, Reporters, and Correspondents, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos088.htm