What Does a Broadcast Program Director Do?
Broadcast program directors fill a radio or TV station's weekly schedule, mixing shows bought from networks and distributors with new local programs they approve themselves. They sit on the management team of a public or commercial station and cancel the shows that lose their audience. Complaints about the schedule land on their desk.
Also known as: Television Program Manager, Radio Program Director
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Artistic Director, Director, Executive Producer, Multimedia Producer, News Producer, Producer, Production Director, Radio Producer.
Broadcast Program Director Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a broadcast program director include:
- Build the weekly program schedule and decide which shows air in each time slot.
- Choose syndicated and network programs and negotiate their fees within the program budget.
- Supervise hosts, producers and board operators, and review their on-air work.
- Study ratings, streaming data and listener feedback to judge how each show performs.
- Make sure the station meets FCC rules on station identification and on-air content.
- Plan on-air fundraising drives with the development staff at public stations.
- Approve new local programs and cancel shows that no longer serve the audience.
- Answer listener and viewer complaints about programs, hosts or schedule changes.
- Set music rotation rules and approve playlists at music-format stations.
- Report program costs, audience trends and plans to the general manager.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a broadcast program director, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Program scheduling and audience research
- Nielsen ratings and streaming analytics
- FCC content and station ID rules
- Budgeting for program fees and rights
- Staff leadership for on-air talent
- Strong ear for what works on air
- Negotiating with program distributors
- Even temper with complaints and critics
Education and Training
To become a program director, in many stations you will need a bachelor's degree and years as a producer or on-air host to qualify to run the schedule. Entry is open to people from all sides of radio and TV, as stations are interested in managers from a range of paths, including news, music programming and production. Program directors are a highly visible group.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $62,670 - $134,800 per year, with a median of $90,360.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Producers and Directors.
BLS projects employment of producers and directors, the wider group for this job, to grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 12,100 openings a year. Progression is often slow and openings for program directors are scarce, since a station usually needs just a single person in the role. Bear in mind that you are more likely to get the job if you have produced shows that grew an audience.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Producers and directors.
Broadcast Program Director Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $45,780 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $62,670 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $90,360 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $134,800 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $198,540 |
Highest-Paying States for Broadcast Program Directors
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are California ($129,790), New Jersey ($119,840), New York ($107,550), District of Columbia ($104,270), Connecticut ($88,260). Pay is lowest in Mississippi ($48,100), West Virginia ($46,660), Arkansas ($38,820).
Median pay in all 50 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,340 |
| Alaska | $54,060 |
| Arizona | $67,320 |
| Arkansas | $38,820 |
| California | $129,790 |
| Colorado | $78,060 |
| Connecticut | $88,260 |
| Delaware | $72,650 |
| District of Columbia | $104,270 |
| Florida | $79,920 |
| Georgia | $79,950 |
| Hawaii | $66,190 |
| Idaho | $61,150 |
| Illinois | $81,080 |
| Indiana | $59,870 |
| Iowa | $58,550 |
| Kansas | $60,600 |
| Kentucky | $54,550 |
| Louisiana | $62,920 |
| Maine | $71,320 |
| Maryland | $79,350 |
| Massachusetts | $80,970 |
| Michigan | $65,720 |
| Minnesota | $76,360 |
| Mississippi | $48,100 |
| Missouri | $66,460 |
| Montana | $52,580 |
| Nebraska | $52,580 |
| Nevada | $78,480 |
| New Hampshire | $61,560 |
| New Jersey | $119,840 |
| New York | $107,550 |
| North Carolina | $63,700 |
| North Dakota | $57,870 |
| Ohio | $69,350 |
| Oklahoma | $61,600 |
| Oregon | $87,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,460 |
| Rhode Island | $84,250 |
| South Carolina | $56,030 |
| South Dakota | $60,260 |
| Tennessee | $73,020 |
| Texas | $71,710 |
| Utah | $76,350 |
| Vermont | $55,660 |
| Virginia | $65,900 |
| Washington | $81,550 |
| West Virginia | $46,660 |
| Wisconsin | $66,390 |
| Wyoming | $60,420 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as producers and directors about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% use email every day
- 100% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 85% are on the phone every day
- 76% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 76% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 73% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 73% work against deadlines every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 57% |
| High school diploma or GED | 15% |
| Associate's degree | 13% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 11% |
Tools and Software Broadcast Program Directors Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy creative work and self-expression as well as leading, persuading and making business decisions.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness.
Knowledge areas used most: Communications and Media, English Language, Telecommunications, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 27-2012.00 (Producers and Directors). View on O*NET OnLine.
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