[BC] State Licensing

[Bruce Doerle]

The only way for broadcast engineers to stay in business and have valuable, meaningful jobs would be for the managers and owners of the stations to care about the station instead of the bottom line, but as long as you have mega-conglomerate broadcasters, it is only the bottom line that counts.  There are many market group stations with insufficient engineering staff.  These guys burn out trying to do their jobs, but then why should a manager care, these guys are a dime a dozen as I think Jason once wrote.
 
I don't think licensing would solve this problem, but eventually there may not be any engineers as we leave the business through normal attrition.  Then the broadcasters may have to pay a decent wage for a scare talent.
 
Mario, I am an electrical engineer and a member of the IEEE.  I really don't see much difference in salaries between the licensed and non-licensed engineers except those in private practice.  The company will pay you what they deem as your worth to them.  Yes, you can be a professionally licensed engineer by the state, but there are no requirements that a radio station hire professional engineers or even certified; the FCC places the technical operation on the ownership of licensee.  You are paid on your value, so those of us who are paid poorly have a pretty goof indicator of what the management thinks of your value to the company.
 
Bruce   
 

>>> mario at xmission.com 05/20/05 11:53 AM >>>


State licensing would be messy, yes, but may be the best way (and possibly 
the only way) to keep broadcast engineers in business.

Mario