Entertainment Operations Manager Jobs in Jackson, TN

Position Title

WLCD Radio Station Manager

Institution

Lane College

Department

Division of Liberal Studies, Mass Communications

Reports To

Department Chair, Division Chair

Classification

Full-Time, Exempt

Position Summary

The WLCD Radio Station Manager provides administrative, operational, programming, and strategic leadership for WLCD Radio at Lane College. The Manager is responsible for maintaining professional station operations; ensuring compliance with applicable Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements, copyright obligations, and College policies; and advancing WLCD as a visible institutional, educational, and community-engagement asset.

Consistent with Lane College’s mission and HBCU identity, the WLCD Radio Station Manager is alsoaccountable for using the station as a structured experiential-learning environment. The Manager will prepare students for careers and advanced study in broadcasting, journalism, audio production, sports media, podcasting,digital media, marketing, communications, and related fields.

1. Station Operations and Administration
   • Manage the day-to-day operations of WLCD Radio, including broadcast schedules, staffing, programming, production, studio access, facilities, equipment, and administrative functions.
   • Develop and maintain written operating procedures that promote reliable, professional, safe, and consistent stationoperations.
   • Maintain required station records, licenses, logs, documentation, contracts, inventories, and operational files.
   • Coordinate maintenance, repair, replacement, and upgrades of broadcast, studio, transmission, streaming, and production equipment.
   • Work collaboratively with College information technology personnel, engineers, vendors, and contractors to maintain station infrastructure and minimize service interruptions.
   • Establish procedures for studio access, security, emergency operations, equipment use, opening/closing procedures, and after-hours operations.
2. FCC Compliance and Broadcast Standards
   • Ensure that WLCD Radio operates in compliance with applicable FCC rules, licensing requirements,College policies, copyright requirements, underwriting rules, and recognized broadcast standards.
   • Maintain required station documentation and public inspection information, as applicable.
   • Train students, employees, volunteers, interns, and program hosts regarding FCC requirements, prohibited content, station identification, emergency procedures, copyright, underwriting, and professional broadcast conduct.
   • Monitor on-air programming and recorded content for compliance with station standards and institutionalexpectations.
   • Coordinate required Emergency Alert System (EAS) testing, documentation, and procedures, as applicable.

1. Programming and Content Development
   • Develop and oversee a balanced programming schedule consistent with Lane College’s mission,WLCD’s audience, and student learning objectives.
   • Evaluate current programming and recommend new programming based on audience interests, institutional priorities, community needs, and student-development opportunities.
   • Coordinate music, news, public affairs, educational, cultural, faith-based, sports, entertainment, and community programming appropriate to the station’s format.
   • Promote programming that highlights HBCU culture and history, scholarship, athletics, performing arts, alumni accomplishments, student achievements, and community leadership.
   • Develop special programming for major Lane College events and traditions, including Homecoming, Founders’ Day, Commencement, athletic events, lectures, performances, and presidential or institutional activities.
   • Expand WLCD’s reach through streaming, podcasting, social media, recorded interviews, and other appropriate digital platforms.
2. Student Experiential Learning and Development
   • Develop and maintain a formal WLCD student experiential-learning model that provides hands-on training in broadcasting, audio production, journalism, sports media, podcasting, programming, digital media, promotions, marketing, and station operations.
   • Recruit, train, supervise, mentor, and evaluate students participating in WLCD operations.
   • Ensure participating students receive documented orientation, technical training, assigned responsibilities, supervision, performance feedback, and opportunities for progressive responsibility.
   • Create progressive student roles such as production assistant, on-air host, producer, sports broadcaster, news/public affairs contributor, digital content producer, programming assistant, and student station leader.
   • Collaborate with faculty and academic programs to connect WLCD participation to internships, practicums, course assignments, service learning, experiential-learning requirements, and career-readiness activities.
   • Maintain documentation of student participation, training completed, hours of engagement, competenciesdeveloped, leadership roles, and student-produced work.
3. Student Portfolio and Career Readiness
   • Ensure students have opportunities to produce professional-quality demo reels, airchecks, podcasts, interviews, news segments, sports broadcasts, audio productions, and digital media portfolios.
   • Integrate professional expectations related to communication, teamwork, leadership, technology, professionalism, critical thinking, reliability, and workplace conduct into student station experiences.
   • Provide or coordinate career-development activities including résumé reviews, mock interviews, portfolio critiques, employer panels, alumni engagement, and professional networking.
   • Connect students with broadcasters, journalists, media executives, alumni, and industry professionals who can provide mentoring, career exposure, internships, and employment connections.
4. Internships, Industry Partnerships, and Career Placement
   • Develop and maintain relationships with radio and television stations, digital media companies, newspapers, sports organizations, production companies, public relations firms, marketing agencies, and other appropriate employers.
   • Establish internship, job-shadowing, mentorship, field experience, and professional-development opportunities for WLCD student participants.
   • Maintain an active network of alumni and media professionals who can support internships, employment referrals, guest lectures, workshops, and mentoring.
   • Collaborate with Lane College Career Services and academic programs to identify employment, internship, graduate-school, and professional-development opportunities for students.

1. • Maintain records of student internships, employment offers, career placements, graduate-school acceptances, and other post-college outcomes supported by WLCD participation.
   • Conduct appropriate follow-up with graduating student participants to document career and educationaloutcomes.
2. Institutional Communications and Engagement
   • Work collaboratively with the President’s Office, Academic Affairs, Athletics, Institutional Advancement, Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Marketing and Communications, and otherCollege units to support appropriate institutional programming.
   • Provide radio coverage and promotional support for major College programs, academic initiatives, lectures, performances, athletic events, and community-engagement activities.
   • Serve as a campus resource for appropriate announcements, interviews, public-service information, educational programming, and community-facing communications.
   • Ensure WLCD maintains a professional identity consistent with Lane College branding, institutional standards, and reputation.
3. Community Engagement
   • Develop relationships with civic organizations, schools, churches, nonprofit organizations, businesses, government agencies, cultural organizations, and other community partners.
   • Position WLCD as a resource for public-service programming, community dialogue, educational outreach, and civic engagement.
   • Develop programming addressing issues important to the African American community and the College’s surrounding service area.
   • Promote HBCU history, intellectual achievement, arts, culture, entrepreneurship, health awareness, civic engagement, and community development.
   • Represent Lane College and WLCD Radio at appropriate community, professional, and institutional events.
4. Marketing, Promotions, and Audience Development
   • Develop strategies to increase WLCD listenership, digital engagement, campus participation, community awareness, and student involvement.
   • Coordinate station promotions, interviews, remote broadcasts, special events, and audience-engagement initiatives.
   • Maintain an active and professional WLCD presence across appropriate social media and digital platforms.
   • Develop cross-platform strategies connecting traditional radio programming with streaming, podcasts, websites, video, and social media.
   • Monitor available audience and engagement data and use findings to improve programming and outreach.
5. Budget and Resource Management
   • Develop and administer the WLCD annual operating budget in accordance with Lane College policies and available resources.
   • Monitor expenditures and maintain accurate documentation for station-related purchases and commitments.
   • Identify equipment, technology, software, licensing, staffing, and facility needs and develop recommendations for institutional consideration.
   • Assist in identifying grants, underwriting, partnerships, sponsorships, and other allowable external resources to strengthen station operations.
   • Ensure revenue-generating or externally supported activities comply with applicable College, FCC, tax, and nonprofit broadcasting requirements.

1. Personnel and Student Supervision
   • Develop schedules and assignments for station personnel, student workers, volunteers, interns, and program hosts.
   • Provide regular training, coaching, evaluation, and feedback.
   • Establish clear standards regarding attendance, professionalism, equipment use, on-air conduct, social media, confidentiality, and representation of Lane College.
   • Address performance or conduct concerns promptly and refer matters through appropriate College procedures when necessary.
2. Assessment and Continuous Improvement
   • Establish annual goals and measurable performance indicators for WLCD operations, student engagement, experiential learning, and career outcomes.
   • Maintain data regarding student participation, programming hours, audience engagement, community partnerships, internships, student placements, special broadcasts, and station activities.
   • Prepare periodic reports for College leadership regarding performance, accomplishments, challenges, equipment needs, student outcomes, and strategic priorities.
   • Conduct regular assessments of programming, technology, student participation, audience engagement, and operational effectiveness.
   • Recommend improvements that enhance WLCD’s educational value, institutional impact, community relevance, and long-term sustainability.

Performance of the WLCD Radio Station Manager will be evaluated not only on station operations and regulatory compliance, but also on measurable evidence that WLCD advances student learning, career readiness, internships, professional exposure, and post-graduation placement.

Performance Area

Expected Evidence / Measure

Student Participation

Number of students actively engaged in WLCD operations each academic year; annual target

established with the supervisor.

Training Completion

Percentage of active student participants completing required station orientation, technical, compliance,

and professional-development training.

Experiential Learning

Number and percentage of participating students completing documented internships, practicums, station-based experiential-learning assignments, or

comparable professional experiences.

Portfolio Development

Percentage of graduating WLCD student participants completing a professional media portfolio, demo reel,aircheck, podcast portfolio, or comparable body of

work.

Industry Engagement

Number of active employers, alumni, mediaprofessionals, or organizations providing mentorship, internships, workshops, fieldexperiences, or

recruitment activities.

Internship Placement

Number and percentage of eligible WLCD student participants placed in media-related internships or

other professional experiences.

Career / Graduate Placement

Percentage of graduates from WLCD participants

obtaining employment, graduate-school admission, freelance/professional opportunities, oranother