TV News Hiring Grows (Barely) in 2014
/
The good news? There was more hiring in TV newsrooms last yet.
The bad news? It was only by 1%.
In a RTDNA survey, it shows that Total local TV news employment rose by 1.1% in 2014 -- adding 300 people. That puts total TV news staffing at 27,600. And that puts the year in third place in overall local TV news employment behind 2012 and 2000.
Generally, TV newsrooms keep growing in size ... but there aren't as many of them as in past years. The 2014 growth didn't completely make up the 400 jobs lost in 2013, but it covers most of them. Stations moved into news, and stations moved out ... and we enter 2015 down 2 from last year's 719 stations originating local news. That puts us back to where we were in 2013, which was the eighth straight year of declines.
The average TV station hired 6 replacements during 2014 and 1.3 new, additional positions. Replacements are up half a person this year, while new hires are exactly the same as a year ago.
Which jobs get replaced in the newsroom most? Reporters and Producers.
Here are the top jobs that are replaced in the newsroom:
1. Reporters ... barely edging out #2.
2. Producers ... way ahead of #3. Both in the same spots as last year.
3. Anchors ... just ahead #4.
4. MMJs ... a bit ahead of #5.
5. Photographers ... just about double #6.
6. Weather ... modestly ahead of #7.
7. Sports ... including, anchor, reporter and producer ... a little ahead of #8.
8. Video editor ... noticeably ahead of closely ranked #9 and #10.
9. Assignment editor/desk
10. Web/social media
