Broadcast and communications technical operator

This occupation is found in the British and International broadcast and media industries, enabling the delivery of broadcast and media products, such as screen or audio programmes, internet streaming services, pay-per-view or downloadable content. Broadcast and media technical operators will typically work for media broadcasters, production companies, media and content streaming companies, broadcaster or media services suppliers, broadcast equipment suppliers or manufacturers. The broadcast and media systems companies and organisations vary in size and the number of employees they have, and are described as small, medium, or large companies. 

The broad purpose of the occupation is to operate equipment involved in programme making for any of the media outlets supported by their organisation. To do this successfully and professionally, there must be an understanding of workflow, equipment capabilities, and technical standards they are operating within. Equipment is complex, and they are often working within tight timescales, it is also necessary to be able to perform diagnostics in real-time and communicate with engineers, technicians or workflow experts to help solve problems and maintain service.

This occupation is found in the British and international broadcast and media industries, enabling the delivery of broadcast and media products such as screen or audio programmes, internet streaming services, pay-per-view content, or downloadable media. Broadcast and media technical operators typically work for media broadcasters, production companies, media and content streaming companies, broadcaster or media services suppliers, or broadcast equipment suppliers or manufacturers. The size of broadcast and media systems companies and organisations varies, with companies being classified as small, medium, or large based on the number of employees. 

The broad purpose of the occupation is to operate equipment involved in programme making for any media outlets supported by the organisation. To do this successfully and professionally, a solid understanding of workflow, equipment capabilities, and the technical standards they operate within is required. Equipment is often complex, and broadcast and media technical operators frequently work within tight timescales. It is also necessary to perform diagnostics in real time and communicate with engineers, technicians, or workflow experts to resolve issues and maintain service.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation works collaboratively with broadcast technicians and engineers to restore and maintain service when it is interrupted. Their workplace may be a broadcast or operations centre, a screen or audio studio, an outside broadcast operation, at customer premises, or outdoors on transmission sites. They must ensure that working environments and areas are safe from hazards and that specific risks are identified and reported. Additionally, they need to ensure that the required equipment is safe to use both on-site and off-site.  They must also be aware of the environmental impact of their occupation and take steps to reduce their ’professional carbon footprint ‘.

Typically, they work within a team, reporting to the team or shift leader. Due to the nature of the role, this may include out of hours working or following irregular working patterns.