Broadcasting Director Interview Questions And Answers

I have always had a dual interest in both music and electronics. I was better with the latter than the former. Years of piano lessons during elementary and high school years did not make much of a musician out of me, since I hated practicing. But it did give me a basis in the fundamentals. But I was good at electronics. My father was a TV repairman, who inspired the interest. I was also a real hi-fi enthusiast in high school, and built and tinkered with a lot of systems.

Don’t answer “because I want to be famous or spend time with famous people”!

Again a high level question I’d ask a researcher or producer really but it helps me find out how much you are familiar with the show and again I’m genuinely interested. You are a viewer as well as a runner. Be honest but not scathing!

Many accounts would begin the story of broadcasting with the grant of the "First Commercial License" or the "First Limited Commercial License" issued by the Department of Commerce in 1920 and 1921, specifying operation in what was to become the Broadcast Band.

At KDKA it was Harold W. Arlin. He also was the first play by play sports announcer there. The famous Graham MacNamee was the first announcer at WEAF, New York, rivaled at the time by Norman Brokenshire at WJZ.

The First African-American announcer was Jack Cooper on Station WSBC, Chicago, in 1929.

If we want to talk "part time", then we are probably talking about Some of the early people like Doc Herrold, Frank Conrad, or folks from WHA. As far as first female announcer, it was likely Cybil Herrold.

The FCC has a library and information on all current broadcast stations, available in the Public Referene Reading Room (CY-A257) at the FCC offices in "The Portal" at 445 12th Street SW in Washington, DC (Metro: Smithsonian or L'Efant Plaza Stations). However, for most individual station files, you must make a request the materials in advance of the date you wish to see them.

RPU - Remote Pick Up : An RPU system is used by radio and television stations to get programming back to the studio from a "remote" broadcast. This may be a news story, sports event, or "personal appearance" at a clients business. RPU frequencies normally run in the 160 or 450 MHz band, TV in several GHz bands.

CONELRAD : Conelrad (CONtrol of ELectronic RADiation) was set up in 1951 to provide warnings to the public during the Cold War. Upon alert, most stations would go off the air. Each remaining station was to move to either 640 or 1240 kHz, and alternate with other such local stations, supposedly so no enemy Direction Finding equipment could lock onto locations in the US. Or course, most stations were not really that far apart, in air miles, so it was not a very useful system. Actual activations were apparently very few.

Contrary to popular belief, AM does *not* mean "Ancient Modulation." It refers to the method of modulating the amplitude, or strength of a fixed frequency carrier to allow detection of the program matter. The Standard Broadcast Band (using AM modulation) in the USA runs from 540 kHz to 1700 kHz in 10 kHz steps. In other regions of the world, there are different spacings (often 9 kHz)..

I have the ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem, see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer), listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences, read and understand information and ideas presented in writing, apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

This is interview question about your career goals. What the interviewer really wants is to see that you’ve thought about your future, and gauge your ambition. They also want to verify that this isn’t just a stop gap position.

Although all of your answers should be tailored to the organization and position you’ve applied for, this is especially the case with this question. If you’re going for an entry level position, for example, explain how you’d like your career to progress (e.g. ‘I’d like to progress to a Senior Software Engineer’ or ‘I see myself being a team leader…’).

If you’re going for a more senior position, explain how you’d be looking to move the company forward. Have a look at their business strategy or corporate objectives before the interview, and explain how you can help in achieving them.

This is somewhat similar to the “what is your greatest strength?” question and can be handled along the same lines. You want to pick an accomplishment that shows you have the qualities that the company puts value in and that are desirable for the position you’re interviewing for.
The fact is you may have several accomplishments you could pick from. Pick one that will have the most impact.

If you're going to work in broadcast journalism, you'll need intimate knowledge of current affairs and a strong interest in news. But employers aren't just looking for someone who cracks open The New York Times every day or tunes into the nightly news. Knowledge of the digital news landscape is a must. Hone those Twitter lists, beef up Feedly with your fave blogs, start subscribing to top news outlets on Google+, get comfortable with Storify and start exploring how Pinterest and Instagram are the next wave in journalistic storytelling. If you can get across to the interviewer that you understand the digital landscape, nay that you thrive on it, you're definitely going to come out ahead.

I was attracted to radio as a medium since elementary school, first as a source of music and programming, and then as field that combined my two interests of music and electronics. In high school, I did a lot of volunteer work in the audio/visual aids department, and at college (Duke University) I was immediately drawn to the campus radio station, while my major was electrical engineering. During college, I was involved with a major upgrade of the campus radio station, and did a lot of the engineering and construction work for that. So it allowed me to pick up a good deal of experience. I served as both the program director and chief engineer (during separate years) at the Duke campus station.

It is probably a greater degree of freedom than many other Public Radio stations, and a much greater level than any commerical operation.

In radio, people just starting can expect not much more than minimum wage. The same can also be said of entry-level jobs in the recording field, in most parts of the country. The salaries generally increase with time, but unfortunately, in commercial radio, there is not much job security. If one reaches the level of a hit record producer or engineers, six figure salaries can be achieved, but they are rare, and when becomes an independent producer (which most of the "big names" are) then your employment can be fickle -- a hit one year, and considered out of style a couple of years later. Engineering is more stable, but high-level positions are relatively few.

Be honest about wanting to get a foot in the door but show an interest and a knowledge of the show and the company you are applying to. You have, of course, checked out their website and watched the show at least once, right?

Highly unlikely question but hey it happens and I may be interested in how you would deal with a potentially difficult situation. Whatever your answer it helps me to see how your mind works.

It is a definite plus, but experience is probably the first thing a potential employer will look at in a resume.

For recording engineering, there are good programs at the University of Miami, the College of Music, and Tennessee State. Many colleges around the country offer good communications departments which can be good for learning broadcasting.

It's probably most gratifying to hear from listeners on how music to which I have introduced them as affected their lives. Of my broadcasting activities, I am probably most proud of the Homegrown Music series, which I produce and record each week, with performances by regional musicians in the station's studios, along with monthly live concert broadcasts. Homegrown Music last year marked its 25th anniversary as an uninterrupted weekly series, and has presented over 600 bands and artists, essentially creating an album's worth of music each week. It's encouraging to see a number of the performers go on to become well-known, and to see groups assembled specifically for the series. And it provides a lot of interesting music that is available in no other form.

As a runner you wouldn’t need to provide an editorial review but I would be genuinely interested in honest views. By all means be complimentary but bear in mind my next question could well be….

☛ AM:
In 1922, all stations were assigned by the Secretary of Commerce to 360 meters (833 kHz) for the transmission of "important news items, entertainment, lectures, sermons, and similar matter."

Later that year, 400 meters (750 kHz) was added, with power limits raised to 1,000 watts. One frequency was set aside for music broadcasts, the other for news and other voice transmissions.

In 1923 and 1924, additional changes were made, opening up 550 to 1500 kHz for broadcasting (in 10 kHz increments) with powers up to 5,000 watts. (The band from 810-850 kHz was "left" for the stations on 833 to continue for a while).

In 1938, an administrative conference designated 1500-1600 kHz to be opened in May, 1941.

In 1979, the WARC expanded the band again, this time to 1700 kHz. The first station on the new band was WJDM, Elizabeth, NJ, which went on in 1995.

☛ FM:
The original FM band was 43.0 to 50.0 MHz, but unlike the present, the assigned channels were on the even frequencies (43.6) instead of the odd (98.3).

The band was originally to be used for experimental "high-frequency AM stations," where the channels would be spaced farther apart (200 kHz) and permitted to broadcast the full frequency spectrum. The idea was to relieve the congestion and skywave problems which would lead to the severe bandwidth limiting which would eventually doom the AM band to talk radio and poor quality radios.

☛ TV:
The original TV band ran from 50 MHz to 108 MHz and was designated channels 1 to 7. In June 1945, as part of his campaign against FM, David Sarnoff had it moved down to 44 MHz.

The low TV channels soon proved to be woefully inadequate for the expressed interest in TV broadcasting, so the FCC decided to go back and allocate more spectrum. They also decided to deal with some of the problems being seen with severe skywave on channel 1. Therefore, in 1948, channel 1 was officially dropped, with channel 2 starting at 54 MHz. (Channel 2 still has the skywave problem - or "benefit," if you are a TV DXer - of the early years, but since FM was moved up to the high-band no broadcast service was affected by the interference from TV.)

broadcast technician responsibilities are to report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible; observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing; monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts;
control audio equipment to regulate the volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts; monitor and log transmitter readings; play and record broadcast programs using automation systems; align antennae with receiving dishes to obtain the clearest signal for transmission of broadcasts from field locations; set-up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks; preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission; maintain programming logs, as required by station management and the federal communications commission; select sources from which programming will be received, or through which programming will be transmitted; install broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems and perform maintenance or minor repairs using hand tools; determine the number, type, and approximate location of microphones needed for best sound recording or transmission quality, and position them appropriately; record sound onto tape or film for radio or television, checking its quality and making adjustments where necessary;
edit broadcast material electronically, using computers; substitute programs in cases where signals fail; set up and operate portable field transmission equipment outside the studio; schedule programming, or read television programming logs to determine which programs are to be recorded or aired; organize recording sessions, and prepare areas such as radio booths and television stations for recording; make commercial dubs; design and modify equipment to employer specifications; regulate the fidelity, brightness, and contrast of video transmissions, using video console control panels; give technical directions to other personnel during filming; instruct trainees in how to use television production equipment, how to film events, and how to copy and edit graphics or sound onto videotape; discuss production requirements with clients; produce graphics for broadcasts; prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content; develop employee work schedules; produce educational and training films and videotapes by performing activities such as selecting equipment and preparing scripts.

When completing your preparations for the interview, always have this question in the back of your mind.

Have a look at the average salary for someone in this industry, area, and who possesses similar skills to yourself, and you should get a basic idea.

But remember: this is only the first interview. You haven’t been offered the job. There’s no need at this stage to be try and begin negotiations. Giving a broad salary range will usually be enough to move on, but be prepared to back it up if you need to.

Just don’t be tempted to sell yourself short. If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at our average salary checker.