MIDDAY HOST AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR 

KERA, the public broadcasting organization for North Texas is hiring a Midday Host and Technical Director (TD) to serve as the local anchor for KERA News. This person will be highly visible in the North Texas community and play a primary role in shaping the sound of our broadcast lineup.  
 

WHO WE ARE:  

KERA reaches more than 2 million people weekly through KERA TV, KERA News, KXT and Art&Seek. For more than 60 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a destination for trusted educational programming and initiatives, community engagement and lifelong learning.  

As we seek to recognize and reflect the increasing diversity among our audiences, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and with diverse perspectives to consider employment opportunities at KERA.  
 

SUMMARY OF THE ROLE:  

The Midday Host and TD will play a critical role in making sure KERA is reaching our North Texas audiences each weekday with reliable, in-the-moment information. The Midday Host and TD will operate the board during our live nationally syndicated talk show, Think, and ensure seamless sound delivery for our audiences and the audiences of the 49 member stations that broadcast Think. In addition, they will serve as producer for promotional messaging for internal and external clients, bringing creativity and brevity to our most important promotional materials. 

The ideal candidate will be able to work both collaboratively with staff and independently, executing a conversational, credible sound and exhibiting professionalism in all situations. We’re looking for someone with excellent board operation skills and an ability to craft dynamic, seamless breaks and promotional materials. Collaboration is key to this role and achieving the sound we seek for KERA News. The ideal candidate will have radio and production experience, and be willing to bring a fresh, conversational sound to our programming.  

This position is classified as FLSA non-exempt (eligible for overtime), reports to the Sr. Director of Operations and works closely with the KERA News Program Director.  
 

WHAT YOU’LL DO:  

As Midday Host: 

• Serve as a high-profile local host on KERA FM, leading work on one of the most-listened-to shows of the week for a discerning audience that craves and strongly supports good, local journalism 

• Plan, stack and execute dynamic, conversational breaks that engage audiences and deliver a variety of promotional, informational and news content  

• Deliver prepared newscast copy in a confident, conversational way, adhering to strict time limitations 

• Ability to work in a live and pre-recorded broadcast environment with ease, and at times, with limited preparation  

• Operation and management of multiple interconnecting broadcast systems and technologies  

• Schedule recorded promos in the daily log  

• Produce programming promos and voice other production copy  

• Occasionally contribute to breaking news coverage and special coverage outside of normally scheduled shift, potentially on weekends  

• Fill in for other live shifts as needed. 

As Think Technical Director: 

This position will also serve as Technical Director of Think, KERA’s locally produced, nationally distributed talk show. Technical Director responsibilities include: 

• Serve as the first point of contact for daily technical and operational needs for the Think production team  

• Operates broadcast control surface and associated equipment to present smooth, flawless execution of Think in-show 

• Reliably execute key daily activities and communications involved in the production, distribution, and carriage of Think locally and on public radio stations across Texas and the U.S. 

• Organize daily production elements for the live broadcasts, and manage the disposition of podcast audio files 

As a KERA employee:   

• Participate in on-air and online fundraising  

• Be an active participant in KERA’s work towards equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging    

• Work in a manner that is consistent with KERA’s mission, vision and values; and maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures    

• Comply with KERA’s COVID policies.   

• Perform additional duties as assigned  

This list of job duties is not exhaustive and is subject to regular reviews and updates. 

WHO YOU ARE:  

We believe a strong organization includes employees from a range of backgrounds, with different skills, experiences and passions. If you don't meet every job qualification but have some of these skills and think you’re the right person for the job, we'd like to hear from you. Please apply and tell us more about yourself.  

• Comfortable and willing to be creative in a live broadcast environment  

• Skilled as a broadcast board operator with knowledge of FCC radio requirements  

• Professional and punctual and able to work a late or early shift  

• Significant experience working with a team and a desire to collaborate  

• High proficiency with computer apps and software  

• Experience producing, recording and engineering audio content 
   

SALARY RANGE 

• $60,000-$65,0000 depending on experience 

BENEFITS 

• Generous vacation, sick, personal time and holidays 

• Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance 

• Flexible scheduling and hybrid work environment 

• 403b plan with KERA-match after 1 year  

• Culture focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging 

• Robust employee assistance program 

LOCATION: 

We expect this position to work out of our Dallas office at least 90% of the time. 

HOW TO APPLY: 

• Complete the application on KERA’s employment page. 

• Please include a cover letter indicating why you’re excited about joining the KERA team 

KERA is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

KERA believes that diversity is important to our success. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.