The traffic department in a radio station is responsible for keeping track of everything that is announced and put on the air during the day on the station. This includes advertisements, commercials, public service announcements, and programming.
The Traffic Assistant is assigned an area to work in by the traffic manager or supervisor of the station. In many small stations the Traffic Assistant will be required to perform traffic responsibilities for all areas. In larger stations the individual will have specific duties dealing with advertisements, commercials, public service announcements (PSAs), or programming.
The Traffic Assistant has varied responsibilities depending on the size and structure of the station and the department. He or she may be responsible for typing the daily radio schedule. This schedule is called a log. It contains all the radio commercial and public service spot announcements. In stations that have computerized traffic departments, the Traffic Assistant is responsible for typing information into the computer. Computerized logs are a lot easier to work on, as there are often mistakes or changes in advertising schedules. Without the generation of a computerized traffic log the Traffic Assistant must keep typing and retyping schedules as additions or deletions and corrections come in.
The Traffic Assistant is responsible for reviewing radio time sales orders and verifying the completeness of the data required for the log. This must be done for both local and national advertisements. For each commercial the Traffic Assistant must make sure he or she has the sponsor name, the date and time it is supposed to air, the length of the commercial, and whether it is to be live or recorded. If there is information missing, the individual will have to contact the salesperson involved to obtain it. The Traffic Assistant also includes the name of the announcer or disk jockey responsible for airing the commercial.
Another duty of the Traffic Assistant may be to keep records of the advertisements to make sure that commercials are run when they are scheduled. In many stations the on-air personalities and announcers are required to check off each item on the commercial log as they do it and to record the announcement time. The Traffic Assistant will deliver and pick up the completed log sheets daily. The individual may be responsible for reviewing the daily log sheets after use to check for authorized changes made during the broadcast day. In some situations the traffic manager or supervisor is responsible for performing this task. The individual may deliver cassettes of commercial announcements or ad copy to the correct personnel. The Traffic Assistant may also be responsible for removing the commercial cassettes from the studio and storing them in the correct location.
The Traffic Assistant is expected to review advertisers’ requests for specific dates and times at which they want their commercials to run. If the assistant finds that the date or time is not available, he or she may recommend other times or dates that are available. In some stations the Traffic Assistant is required to preview advertisements before they are aired to make sure that they do not contain objectionable material. This is important because radio stations are governed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and must adhere to its rules and regulations. The individual is responsible for keeping the daily commercial log up to FCC standards.
Depending on the station, the Traffic Assistant may also be responsible for performing clerical duties including billing, correspondence, filing, and answering phones. Other responsibilities might include writing copy for commercials, writing public service announcements, or timing commercials recorded on tape cartridges. The Traffic Assistant usually works normal business hours. He or she is directly responsible to the traffic manager or coordinator, depending on the station.
Salaries for Traffic Assistants working in radio range from approximately $18,000 to $34,000 depending on a number of variables. These include the size, location, and prestige of the station and the experience and responsibilities of the individual. Individuals working in small-market radio or those who have little or no experience earn salaries in the low to midteens. Those with more experience or working in mid- or major-market radio may have earnings at the top end of the scale.
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