TALK RADIO INITIATIVE
PROJECT 101
PROFILE OF PROGRAM PRODUCERS

For more information contact:
Ken Mills
763-513-9988

Talk Initiative Website

INTRODUCTION

During late July and early August 2004, Steve Martin and I conducted telephone interviews with eleven public radio talk and interview show producers. Each producer is repsonsible for a program that airs on weekdays between Morning Edition and ATC. We asked the producers about themselves, their jobs, their authority to make decisions regarding their programs and what they felt were the biggest positives and negatives about their work.

The producers volunteered to participate in the interviews. No statistical reliability is claimed. The survey provides a snapshot of the producers that we hope will provide the basis for future projects.

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS

Public radio station-based talk and interview show producers profiled in this report are most often men (73%). Their average age is 38.5 with a range of 28 to 52.

On average, they have been working in public radio for just over nine years. They have been producing their current programs for an average of two and half years.

Almost every one of the producers surveyed had never produced a talk radio program prior to their current job. Prior to producing their current programs, the survey participants held a wide variety of jobs -- from commercial TV news to performing in a rock n roll band.

Producers are trained on the job. The producers reported that they have had virtually no training opportunities in the past year.

Long hours are common. The producers say they work an average about 50 hours per week with several producers estimating their work at more than 60 hours per week.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER'S JOBS

Program producers produce the programs, choose topics and book guests for four to ten hours of new radio programming per week. Producers occasionally screen calls and train volunteers and interns. About a third of the producers say they occasionally critique the program host.

The producers most often report to the station's Program Director or News Director. The producers surveyed said they have little or no involvement in planning or spending their program's budget.

Producers wish they had more time to prepare their program topics and additional staff to do research and perform their programs.

The producers seem to enjoy their jobs. Job attributes that most producers say they like the most include "being part of a team" with the other program staff, the hands-on assembly of the program, meeting interesting guests and doing work they feel makes a difference and serves listeners.

The producers surveyed receive said they receive an annual salary of around $33,500 with a range of participants of $22,000 to $60,000 per year.

CONCLUSIONS

Public radio's station-based talk and interview show producers are a diverse group individuals who work very hard -- often for little money -- and are chronically short on support staff, time to research programs and opportunities for training. Many producers feel isolated, even within their own stations. Despite these conditions, most of the producers love their work and being a part of public radio.

The programming these dedicated producers create fills many of public radio's most important broadcast hours - crucial hours between the Morning Edition and ATC. As public radio increases it's commitment to station-originated talk and interview programming, improving the skills and performance of producers will help this programming by more successful.

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