Program director

The program director (spelled programme director in many countries) is the person who decides the broadcast content of a television or radio station. Typically, this person will decide what selections to make based on a target demographic. In a radio station, a program director could also be responsible for maintaining station identity.

In the context of non-profit organizations, a program director is responsible for managing the organization's various programs - or in some cases, a single program - in a role similar to that of a chief operating officer.

In Service Industries

In service industries such as education, a program director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services. For example, in education, a program director is responsible for developing and maintaining degree granting programs and/or other educational services.

A program director's role in a company that sells professional services is similar to a product manager's role in a company that sells tangible goods.

In radio

The program director is responsible for the sound on the radio station 24/7, the content of the stations broadcast day, including which announcers work there, and what they say during the broadcast. The program director's job is to make sure that the station sounds as good as it can obviously, as it all comes down to survey ratings. A radio program director's career can be snuffed out in a heartbeat if his work doesn't produce good radio survey ratings for his company.