Telling Signs in Radio Industry: Job Openings
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Thank Clear Channel radio for planting the seed to get this idea rolling. It came while reading the press release stating that "Clear Channel Radio Adds HD Digital Multicasts to 18 More Markets; Brings Total to 66 markets and 269 Stations." That's quite a few stations. Surely, a company ready to launch "the third wave" of its much heralded HD Radio stations would have to hire a few bodies to get the ball rolling. Well, maybe.
The press release caused me to travel to Clear Channel's job openings page at its web site, where you'd think that a company the size of Clear Channel would always have a lengthy list of postions to fill. But, there are not as many jobs as you'd expect. Here are the ten positions listed as "newest openenings," these are the only positions on its page, and they come from Clear Channel stations across the nation:
Account Executive
Accounts Receivable Clerk
Accounts Receivable Position
Country Announcer needed!
Internet Sales
Internship for Fall 2006 (not counted in final tally)
Local Sales Manager
Local Sales Manager
Part-time Traffic Announcer and Promotions Assist
Production Director
With the exception of that last entry (Production Director), it's evident that Clear Channel isn't hiring anyone to help launch these 18 new HD Radio stations. (If you've been involved in creating any type of radio format the question that's pressing your lips now is "how can that be?")
Clear Channel's not the only group that's short on hiring new talent for programming or on air while launching their HD Radio initiative, though.
Take a quick ride through the "job opening listings" of radio's trade publications; Radio & Records, Radio Ink, Friday Morning Quarterback, and Inside Radio (lower right on its home page)... To make it interesting, throw in the online job listings from "Radio World," "Traffic Directors Guild of America" and "Radio And Production" magazine, (the last featuring "No items ... at this time").
Here's what you'll find as a combined total: 77 positions listed for a 13,000+ radio station industry that's readying an additional 2,000+ HD radio stations.
The number of position for each category of hire are:
1 - general manager
4 - sales management
27 - sales
4 - programming
14 - traffic/continuity
1 - promotion
2 - producer
2 - board op
1 - news
16 - talent
4 - chief engineer
1 - automation specialist
Note that some of these may be duplicate entries (coming from different online sources), but let's give the benefit of doubt and treat each position as a different opening.
Also, go further, look into radio groups other than Clear Channel and the openings they post online. All are involved in the great HD Radio push.
CBS Radio - (Going back to August 1, 2006) - 104 entries. They are:
6 - general sales manager
2 - local sales manager
1 - account manager
16 - account executive
4 - radio advertising sales
1 - national sales assistant
2 - national sales coordinator
1 - sales assistant
1 - research assistant
1 - sr. accountant
1 - controller
1 - accounting / payroll assistant - part-time
5 - accounting assistant
1 - accounts receivables clerk
14 - air talent
6 - announcer - (part time)
1 - assistant promotions director
7 - board operator - part-time
1 - remote engineer (part-time)
2 - content specialist
1 - front desk/receptionist
1 - imaging director
1 - production assistant
2 - jr. web designer / web developer
2 - news anchor/reporter (part-time)
1 - programming coordinator/music director
4 - promotion director
1 - event coordinators
5 - promotions and marketing assistant
7 - promotion assistant - part time
3 - traffic manager
1 - traffic assistant (part-time)
Cox Radio (through July 1) - 28 openings:
1 - general sales manager
1 - local sales manager
8 - account manager
2 - account executive
1 - internet account manager sales
1 - NTR developer business
1 - website coordinator - part time
2 marketing and promotions director
1 - executive assistant - administration
3 - on air talent
1 - production manager
1 - board operator - part time
1 - news anchor part time
1 - news anchor - afternoon
1 - news director
1 - traffic director
1 - assistant program director
Cumulus and Entercom both have listings that are either oblique or difficult to present in this article,
but you can scan through them by clicking on each name.
So, here's your total count of job postings across all sources: 218
General Manager - 1
Sales - 85
Administrative/Office - 13
Programming - 12
News - 6
Talent - 40
Board Ops - 10 (8 are part time)
Internet - 4
Engineering - 6
Promotions - 21
Traffic - 20
You'd think that radio stations nationwide would be in the process of hiring individuals for programming and talent if it were on the road to improving itself with the gusto it claims, especially with the launch of HD Radio. But, glancing over the postions being advertised, there doesn't seem to be alot of supporting evidence that this is the case.
Job opening tabulations performed online, August 18, 2006. Some openings may be duplicated due to combining trade publications with group owner web sites.
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