Broadcast Technician
What the work is
Installs, tests, operates and repairs electronic equipment used to record and transmit live and taped programs for broadcast.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Monitors, logs and adjusts broadcast transmitters to ensure signal quality and transmission accuracy
- Operates, installs and tests consoles and equipment to control the broadcast transmission process
- Receives and follows instructions from broadcast directors or producers regarding transmission schedules and content
- Troubleshoots and resolves technical problems with broadcast transmitters, such as signal interference or equipment malfunctions
- Collaborates with other broadcast staff to coordinate and synchronise transmission activities
- Maintains and updates records of transmission schedules, equipment maintenance, and any changes to transmission procedures
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a community theatre and a small outdoor festival stage, where technicians run lights, sound and cameras for live shows. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A cue lands perfectly and the audience gasps at the exact right second
- A band you mixed all afternoon sounds clean and huge for the first song
- A show comes together after weeks of rehearsal and everyone backstage hugs
Hard days
- A microphone that fails during the one speech nobody can repeat
- A long day building a stage in the sun, then a long night running the show
- A performer who blames the sound crew for something that is not their fault
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 391232, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.