Careers in television broadcasting range from studio production to newsgathering to administration and sales. Likewise, the necessary educational training and experience differ according to position, as well as according to the size of the market that a television station serves. Market size further influences the staff size, and, consequently, the breadth of positions that are available at a given station. However, several positions remain staples of the typical television station, including the general manager, the controller, the accountant, the general sales manager, the account executive, the program director, the master control operator, the chief engineer, and the news and production personnel.

The general manager, who holds the highest position in a local television unit, works long hours overseeing a station's financial management and budgeting, short-range and long-range planning, administration and morale, and compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations. The typical general...