In its present form, the broadcast industry is a convergence of electromagnetic delivery of analog and digital signals through the air or over a medium such as fiber or coaxial cable. This is coupled with, in many cases, the simultaneous delivery of packetized data streams over the internet using new media technologies available today. Today’s broadcast engineer must be able to maintain the hardware systems involved with these multiple methods of content delivery. In the past broadcast, facilities had separate departments for information technology (IT) and engineering, however, in today’s environment, these two fields have converged.
The job duties and necessary technical expertise for broadcast engineers have changed drastically throughout the history of broadcasting; however, the pace of this change today is exponential in comparison. As the analog transmission of audio and video content gives way to the digital delivery of media, the traditional skillsets of broadcast engineers must adapt to a skillset revolving around information technology. For IT-savvy engineers, this adaptation may not prove too difficult. However, it does not take very long to work in the industry or attend a Society of Broadcast Engineers meeting to realize that there just are not that many young broadcast engineers out there. In comparison, young information technology professionals are abundant in many technological industries. In addition, technical schools, community colleges, and universities throughout the country are turning out Computer Science graduates at increasingly higher rates each semester (“Employed Persons by Detailed Industry and Age”).
As a broadcast employer, you are faced with two options; give your current engineers time to train on the new information technology-driven equipment or hire an IT worker and train him or her in the ways of broadcasting. For the broadcast engineer, this is an easy choice, and as such, they should welcome any offer of new technology training. In the current broadcast environment, basic electronics engineering and broadcast skills and knowledge are still very relevant. According to experts, traditional broadcast television and radio should remain for at least another 10 years. However, with new technologies just on the horizon, local broadcasters could remain viable for many years beyond that.
One major hurdle that must be overcome is the lack of training available today for broadcast engineers. Many technical schools and community colleges have dropped their Electronics Engineering Technology programs due to low enrollment and a departure in many technology fields from circuit-level repair (Fletcher et al. 191). Many repairs today are done through system replacement rather than component-level repair. Even in broadcasting, many issues can be resolved by swapping out a circuit board or a card, whereas, in the past repairs were made to the board directly. In the information technology field, it is extremely rare for an electrical component-level repair to be made. It is much faster and when time is factored in, cheaper to swap out an entire board rather than make the effort to determine the circuit level repair. If a device does need further evaluation, it is typically shipped out for repair. However, the broadcast industry is a bit different. With many older pieces of broadcast gear still in use today, station engineers must be able to make intricate repairs that require a high-level knowledge of electronics troubleshooting practices. Broadcast engineers must be able to read and understand system schematics, they must be able to test circuit board components and voltages to trace down failing hardware. Many times, this testing and troubleshooting must be done in the field or at a remote transmitter site, not the typical air-conditioned work environment that many of us are accustomed to.
Today, broadcast engineers learn through active involvement in the field. They learn by working alongside other, more seasoned engineers. This is a great way to learn a trade, but it would certainly be beneficial for our educational institutions to offer training as well. Broadcast employers would love to hire from a pool of talented and trained young men and women. That pool, unfortunately, is not available.
Broadcast employers are looking for young energetic, IT-savvy engineers. In fact, one local media outlet in the Tri-cities area has just hired a new IT Director rather than replacing a staff engineer that recently moved to a photographer position in the news department at the station. This was a drastic change from a few years back when the very same IT position was eliminated and replaced by an extra broadcast engineering staff opening. Even at the local media level, the value of an IT-savvy engineer is being recognized. The IT skills of recent college graduates may surpass that of older engineers, but the knowledge gap in basic electronics troubleshooting and repair makes hiring young IT professionals a difficult decision for employers. So, what is the answer? Research shows that the answer is to take a look at the past. Revisit, retune, and revise the electronics courses of the past. Technical schools, community colleges, and even universities should take a second look at their dismantled electronics programs. Many courses of the past could be revamped to add a new IT flavor to the older circuit design and repair coursework. These courses could be specifically directed toward broadcasting (Fletcher et al. 197).
Broadcast engineers are typically expected to possess a minimum of an associate degree in either computer science or electronics engineering technology. However, many engineers hold a bachelor’s degree in a related field. A large amount of on-the-job training is also required, as individual stations or other broadcast facilities have specific hardware and software in use in their organization (Pizzi, Skip, and Jones ch. 1).
According to top job sites such as Monster.com, there are currently 36,000 Broadcast Technicians employed in the United States. That number is expected to grow by three percent by 2022. Though 3 percent growth is in no way an astronomical amount; predictions do at least show that positions in the field are still in demand, especially for entry-level openings. Also, according to Monster.com, the average salary for a broadcast engineer is between $58,000 and $63,000 per year. Of course, this number factors in areas of the country which have a much higher cost of living than eastern Tennessee. Salaries in this area typically range between $35,000 and $45,000 per year (“Broadcast Engineer Jobs”). Broadcast engineering is certainly not the most prestigious field of work one can aspire to; however, the pay is competitive and the job security is very strong. But, will this job security change in the future? In the next couple of chapters, we will look at the educational opportunities for those interested in a career in broadcast engineering along with predictions for the industry’s future. We will also look at research into new technologies that just might secure broadcasting for many years to come.
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