KTOO is looking for someone to be the voice of Juneau in the morning. We’re looking for a true host in every sense of the word: someone who can greet our radio audience and introduce them to what KTOO and our community are all about.
Your day starts at around 4:30 in the morning. In the summer months that means you get to head to work in broad daylight and maybe even pass a black bear on your way. In the winter months, it will be very dark (but it’s dark at 9:00 a.m., too, so you’re not alone), but you’ll be one of the first ones up to see fresh snowfall and maybe even head to work under the glow of the aurora.
Once you’re at the station, you’ll pull together news from around the state and craft it into three newscasts per hour. You’ll also prepare station breaks to promote what’s coming up next and give crucial and timely weather updates. You’ll be live on the air from 5:30 – 8:30 every morning. And then you’ll switch to preparing for the next day, recording interviews with reporters and news makers and maybe filing some quick news stories for the website. Your KTOO day ends by 1:00 in the afternoon.
We’re looking for someone who is not afraid to be themselves on the radio, and who can live in the moment, connecting what’s coming from NPR to what matters to people in Juneau. Also, you’ll have to be down to improvise – it’s not possible to script this kind of authentic connection with the audience.
This is not an entry level position. The ideal candidate should be comfortable hosting live radio, know their way around a studio and have some experience running a board, either for a job or as a volunteer. It’s okay if that experience isn’t in public radio, but you should be familiar with some of the equipment and be ready and able to learn quickly.
Even if you don’t have the experience now, you’ll eventually become an expert in KTOO’s broadcast equipment and will be the go-to person in the newsroom for understanding how everything works.
This position reports to the Managing Editor for News, but will also work closely with programming and operations staff.
Responsibilities:
- Package and deliver several hourly newscasts and station breaks during local broadcast of Morning Edition and Here & Now
- Combine program promotion, community information and other elements – including improvisation – to create a compelling listener experience
- Rewrite promo copy and lightly edit news stories for seamless transitions between national and local content
- Operate the studio board while hosting, sometimes under pressure in breaking news situations
- Pre-record interviews and reporter two-ways to use during program
- Occasionally host other special programs and live news coverage
- Exercise independent judgment and work with news staff to ensure timely and appropriate delivery during breaking news and major events
- Attend daily news meetings
Successful candidates will likely have the following skills and competencies OR demonstrate that they have equivalent skills based on lived experience:
- At least 2 years of experience working in a live broadcast environment
- Familiarity and comfort with using broadcast equipment and live delivery of news
- Confidence in your own voice and in being yourself on the radio
- Excellent writing skills, proven news judgment, and journalistic integrity
- Enthusiasm for local news
- Demonstrated strategic thinking about news priorities and pulling together a newscast
- Ability to stay calm under pressure when technology fails, plus a willingness to learn new equipment and operations
- Ability to work on deadline in a live environment and stay accurate and composed – that sometimes may require improvisation under
- stress without prior preparation
About Us
KTOO has a mid-sized newsroom in a small market, which means we have robust reporting power and a strong presence and reputation in the community.
Our editorial focus is a mix of stories of local and statewide importance. Our reporters focus on city governance, housing, tourism & other local economic drivers, social justice, Alaska Native culture and governance, health and science, and climate.
KTOO supports station-wide efforts to increase diversity and inclusion. The newsroom is committed to consciously seeking out voices, perspectives and stories not found in other outlets or in the media at all. We keep track of the gender and race and/or ethnicity of all our sources and strive to source our stories with diversity and inclusivity in mind.
We also know that a diverse and inclusive staff will lead to stronger reporting and a deeper connection to communities we serve. We strongly encourage women and non-binary candidates; Alaska Native, Indigenous and people of color; people with disabilities and those with diverse economic and educational backgrounds to apply. You will be supported by our team.
KTOO is honored to broadcast on Lingít Aaní. Our studios sit on what was once tideland, and is the home of the Áak’w Kwáan L’eeneidí, or Dog Salmon People. We respect the Lingít people for the care of this land and these waterways for thousands of years.
Deadline: Open until filled. First round of applications will be reviewed in late June
Salary: Annual salary of $52,870. Plus competitive benefits including health insurance, retirement, paid leave and holidays, and 20 weeks of paid family leave.
Questions? Contact our Managing Editor for News
Apply: online at https://www.ktoo.org/job-opportunities/apply-online/
Posted: 5/31/2022
KTOO is an Equal Opportunity Employer