A recording studio control board.
A radio production director is responsible for everything heard between the music and aside from the chatter of an on-air radio personality. The skills necessary to assume this position may be learned in a broadcast or technical school, although the majority of these professionals hone their craft through years of on-the-job training as radio hosts or DJs.
Significance
A radio station production director is the individual charged with managing the production department of a broadcast facility. This includes voicing and producing all commercials, station promos and imaging played on-air and online. A management position, this individual is typically a department head responsible for ensuring the effective work flow of all assignments from beginning to end. He typically reports only to the general manager of the station, although in some instances, the station program director may be his direct supervisor.
Supervision
Dependent on the size of the radio station, a production director may have anywhere from one to 20 or more individuals he is responsible for supervising. This may include staffers dedicated specifically to commercial production, in addition to the on-air personalities of the station. In the past 20 years, massive consolidation of the radio industry has occurred, meaning that most production directors are responsible for managing the audio elements of multiple stations.
People Skills
In addition to overseeing his own department, a production director works closely with the sales, programming and promotion departments to ensure the needs of those areas are met. A good working relationship with sales people and sales managers is crucial, as a production director is responsible for ensuring the commercials they sell are properly produced and aired. He or she must also be a diplomatic and personable ambassador of the station, as the production director spends significant time with station clients, helping them to record their advertising campaigns.
Technical Skills
A production director should possess at least a pleasant--if not exceptional--speaking voice. His voice will be heard on a large majority of the commercials produced at the station (in-house). He also must be highly skilled in utilizing all of the computer-based editing tools and software present in today's high-tech production studio, in addition to other computer programs that run the overall broadcast operations of a radio station. Additional skills required include a high level of organization and a sense of creativity--an artistic flair is often necessary to produce compelling and entertaining commercials and promotional spots.
Identification
A large majority of production directors begin their careers as on-air radio personalities, perfecting the presentation of their voice, in addition to their creative and technical production skills. Dependent on the size and circumstances of the station, many production directors are "off-air," meaning that they spend 100 percent of their time managing commercial work flow. Others may work "split shifts," spending part of their day as an on-air personality and devoting the rest to commercial production.
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