WSUM Production Director

The WSUM Production Director is an annual, paid student staff position at WSUM Student Radio. The Production Director of WSUM is responsible for maintaining the station identity as displayed in station promos, PSAs, legal IDs, underwriting and sponsorship announcements and other on-air station identification. The Production Director serves on an hourly basis. The Production Director is to conduct their duties at WSUM according to its vision, mission and goals. The Production Director is accountable to the Program Director, the General Manager and – ultimately – the Board of Regents. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Promote WSUM philosophy and services through daily fulfillment of duties;
  • Assist the Program Director in establishing a cohesive sound and identity for WSUM; 
  • Develop and maintain connections with on-air personnel and all departments within WSUM to the extent that they have an impact on the Production Director duties;
  • Assist Technical Director in organizing, maintaining, adding and deleting sound files on the network;
  • Carry out other duties as assigned by the Program Director or the General Manager.

STATION DUTIES AND OPERATIONS

  • Actively participate in Student Management and All-Station meetings.
  • Assist in the establishment, implementation and achievement of WSUM annual goals; the budgetary planning, implementation and the evaluation of WSUM on-air initiatives and programs.
  • Serve as a member of the Student Management Board.
  • Assist in the annual review of WSUM organizational structure.
  • Assist in actively promoting cultural diversity and integrity within WSUM and its departments.
  • If asked by the Station Manager, assist in the recruitment and the selection of WSUM paid student staff. 
  • Uphold the WSUM By-laws and actively participate in the initiation, review and implementation of WSUM Station Manual as well as department policies and procedures.
  • Recruit WSUM staff. 
  • Carry out those duties assigned by the Program Director, who serves as the direct supervisor. 
  •  Generally, the Production Director is expected to*:
    • be able to write clear, concise copy;
    • be an expert in sound editing equipment used at WSUM;
    • voice many of the identifiers used on the air at WSUM;
    • add sound files to automation as directed;
    • produce public service announcements, promos, underwriting spots and other on-air fare;
    • Ensure on-air spots are produced in a timely manner;
    • Produce public service announcements and other on-air fare, and then submit to the Program Director for approval;
    • Coordinate copywriting and production of public service announcements and other on-air fare.

VALUES AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE POSITION

The Production Director provides consistency in establishing the on-air identity of WSUM.  S/he is expected to set an example, be accessible, and to assist the Program Director in leading the station forward by creating opportunities for involvement, resolving challenges as they arise, and assisting in strategic planning as to how WSUM can better meet its mission.

The Production Director must be committed to WSUM’s core values as expressed in its Mission Statement.   In summary:

  1. WSUM will act in a service and outreach capacity for the students of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and people of Madison and surrounding communities.  The Production Director shall support and assist in the production of community-related on-air announcements;
  2. WSUM will provide an educational environment and valuable hands-on experience.  The Production Director will assist and/or train WSUM personnel in use of sound editing software and equipment and will support the General Manager and Station Manager in efforts to establish curricular connections.  Overall, the Production Director will support the educational needs and goals of students in an environment where curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular student learning is valued. 
  3. WSUM will also provide an alternative source of music and information programming to the campus and community.   The Production Director is expected to provide support to the on-air staff by helping to produce on-air announcements (e.g., PSAs, show promos, bumpers, etc.).

The WSUM Production Director is an appointed position, at the discretion of the General Manager and Station Manager.  The appointee need not be confirmed by the Governance Board.  WSUM seeks candidates with excellent writing skills, attention-to-detail, willingness to take direction, demonstrated dedication to the WSUM mission, and who are dependable.  The staff and management of WSUM subscribe to all applicable policies and procedures governing Equal Employment Opportunities.  WSUM’s continuing policy is to afford equal opportunity to qualified individuals for employment and/or advancement regardless of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, ancestry, veteran or marital status, native language, political affiliation, or any other arbitrary factor that has no relevance to participation in station activities.  In hiring, the station shall also conform to all other applicable laws and regulations. This policy of equal opportunity covers all aspects of employment.

TIME COMMITMENT

The Production Director position requires the staff person to be available for a variety of hours during the week, some at night and some on weekends.  Being available to students is a critical element in the successful performance of the position’s responsibilities.  Participation in all-station and student management meetings is required throughout the calendar year.  It is paid on an hourly basis.  The Production Director position is a commitment to an average of approximately 8 hours per week, 46 weeks per six-month appointment period, with an 8HR/Day limit.  In no case may a Production Director work more than 40 hours per week or over the annual allotment of hours for that position

SELECTION TIMELINE

Applications are accepted approximately a month or more prior to onset or on a shorter schedule if an unexpected opening occurs.  Production Director candidates are interviewed by the General Manager and Station Manager.  The selected candidate takes office as early as the first day of January or at some other mutually agreeable time.

PLEASE NOTE:  This is in addition to the expectations laid out in the WSUM by-laws.



KeywordsWSUM, Executive Staff, Position Descriptions   Doc ID20970
OwnerLaura G.Groupwsum
Created2011-10-25 16:30:57Updated2021-11-29 15:35:57
SitesWSUM
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