How to hire a newscast director

How to hire a newscast director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step newscast director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a newscast director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new newscast director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your newscast director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a newscast director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A newscast director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, newscast directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of newscast directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Newscast Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Newscast Director	Producers and directors create motion pictures, television shows, live theater, commercials, and other performing arts productions. They interpret a writer’s script to entertain or inform an audience.	$13-47
   Member, Technical Staff	A member, technical staff's role will vary depending on the organization or company. Most of the responsibilities may revolve around developing new applications or systems, conducting research and analysis, performing numerous testing activities, and designing strategic methods to improve technical aspects of a particular project... Show more	$35-75
   Technical Account Manager	A technical account manager is primarily responsible for providing technical support to clients through calls and correspondence, securing sales and ensuring customer satisfaction. Aside from assisting clients, a technical account manager may conduct an assessment to determine the needs of a client, perform follow up calls, offer upgrades and add-ons, answer inquiries, troubleshoot, and even provide extensive and detailed instructions to customers on using their products or services... Show more	$35-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Control Room
   • GRASS
   • ENPS
   • ABC
   • Audio Board
   • News Production
   • Sony
   • Camera Shots
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • Overdrive
   • Studio Cameras
   • ROSS
   • Noon
   • News Stories

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain news set, stage manage during live morning show broadcasts, operate jib and Stadicam during live broadcast.
   • Operate Sony video switcher during newscast
   • Direct the work of artists, directors, technicians, and other teams in order to produce documentaries
   • Produce daily promos, show imaging, and daily podcasts.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your newscast director job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A newscast director salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, newscast directors' average salary in louisiana is 63% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level newscast directors earn 71% less than senior-level newscast directors.
   • Certifications. A newscast director with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a newscast director's salary.

   Average newscast director salary

   $54,603yearly

   $26.25 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level newscast director salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a newscast director job description

   A good newscast director job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a newscast director job description:

   Newscast director job description example

   Nexstar Media Inc is looking for experienced Assistant Newscast Director to join the newly formed diplopy in Washington, DC (Market # 9). Come live and work in the Nation's capital, not only a great place for national politics but also busy local news market. The region offers a high quality of life with some of the best museums in the country, year-round theaters, concerts, street festivals and more. The region is also a sports mecca with professional basketball, baseball, football, hockey, soccer teams. The district and its suburbs have many bike trails, has been widely recognized for is early adoption of high-tech transportation options like e-bikes and e-scooters. Washington, DC also boasts an incredible food scene with more than twenty restaurants receiving Michelin stars in 2021 alone. This is a great place to live and a great place to grow your career.
   
   + Work in unison with Director on a live fast paced local newscast using Ross Overdrive, Ross XPression, and Ross XPression Tessera
   
   + Must have in-depth knowledge of studio/remote broadcasting technology including automated servers, graphics systems, and editing. ENPS and Ross Overdrive experience preferred.
   
   + The Assistant Director will interact with the director and newscast producer to create & execute the content, tone, structure and pace of the newscast.
   + The Assistant Director should add creativity and ideas that enhance the final product.
   
   + The Assistant Director will help design and implement use of new multi-area set and evolving format.
   
   + Coordinates with the News and Creative Services Departments to achieve the graphic elements of the newscast.
   
   Requirements & Skills :
   
   Qualifications:
   
   Minimum of 2 years of experience Directing. News applicants only please. Early Mornings, Evenings, weekends, and holidays will be a part of the schedule. Bachelor's degree in Communications or related field preferred. Must be able to handle face paced live broadcasts and remain calm during breaking news. Please be prepared to furnish current references and shows (with director's track). Candidate should be a problem solver and quick thinker to resolve existing issues and to work around problems that arise during live news.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find newscast directors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any newscast directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level newscast directors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your newscast director job on Zippia to find and recruit newscast director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting newscast directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new newscast director

   Once you've selected the best newscast director candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new newscast director. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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