# Media Technical Directors/Managers

> Coordinate activities of technical departments, such as taping, editing, engineering, and maintenance, to produce radio or television programs.

- **SOC code:** 27-2012.05
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-2012-05
- **Also known as:** News Technical Director, Production Director, Production Manager, Technical Director, Broadcast Director, Newscast Director, Operations Director, Studio Director
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Direct technical aspects of newscasts and other productions, checking and switching between video sources and taking responsibility for the on-air product, including camera shots and graphics.
- Switch between video sources in a studio or on multi-camera remotes, using equipment such as switchers, video slide projectors, and video effects generators.
- Observe pictures through monitors and direct camera and video staff concerning shading and composition.
- Follow instructions from production managers and directors during productions, such as commands for camera cuts, effects, graphics, and takes.
- Supervise and assign duties to workers engaged in technical control and production of radio and television programs.
- Set up and execute video transitions and special effects, such as fades, dissolves, cuts, keys, and supers, using computers to manipulate pictures as necessary.
- Monitor broadcasts to ensure that programs conform to station or network policies and regulations.
- Operate equipment to produce programs or broadcast live programs from remote locations.
- Test equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Train workers in use of equipment, such as switchers, cameras, monitors, microphones, and lights.
- Act as liaisons between engineering and production departments.
- Discuss filter options, lens choices, and the visual effects of objects being filmed with photography directors and video operators.

**Emerging tasks** (O*NET):
- Coordinate the use of drone technology for aerial filming and photography.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Communications and Media _(knowledge)_
- Computers and Electronics _(knowledge)_
- English Language _(knowledge)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Speaking _(essential_skill)_
- Monitoring _(essential_skill)_
- Coordination _(transferable_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_

**Skills in demand:**
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Telecommunications _(Specialized Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Adobe After Effects _(hot technology)_
- Adobe Photoshop _(hot technology)_
- Atlassian JIRA _(hot technology)_
- C _(hot technology)_
- C++ _(hot technology)_
- Facebook _(hot technology)_
- Linux _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft SQL Server _(hot technology)_

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 66th percentile (Moderate) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 71st percentile (High) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 71st percentile (High) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 57th percentile (Moderate) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 15th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 4.9% growth (About average); 12.8k annual openings; 167k → 175.2k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $83,480; 145,270 employed.

## How people actually use AI here

Anthropic Economic Index — measured AI conversations mapped to this occupation's tasks:

- **Automation vs augmentation:** 39% automation, 37% augmentation (usage-weighted).
- **Autonomy median:** 4.0 (higher = AI acts more independently).
- **Dominant collaboration mode:** directive.

**Tasks most handed to AI here:**
- Discuss filter options, lens choices, and the visual effects of objects being filmed with photography directors and video operators. _(0.4% of measured AI use; directive)_

**Example prompts (honest phrasings of the tasks above — starting points, not endorsed instructions):**
- Help me discuss filter options, lens choices, and the visual effects of objects being filmed with photography directors and video operators.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-2012-05_