KSUT Public Radio News Director

KSUT, an NPR Member Station serving southwest Colorado and the Four Corners region with two unique stations, seeks a News Director to manage news on both on-air and digital platforms.

KSUT Public Radio

KSUT is an independent non-profit with two distinct radio stations: Four Corners Public Radio and Tribal Radio. Our offices and studios are located in a new, state-of the-art facility in Ignacio, Colorado and our signal area covers more than 100,000 people across parts of four states. Four Corners Public Radio airs NPR News, variety programs, and a popular Music Discovery format. Tribal Radio airs Native and Indigenous music, news, and culture.

Job Summary

The News Director manages and coordinates all locally produced news content for Four Corners Public Radio, Tribal Radio, www.ksut.org and www.tribalradio.org in collaboration with station managers and digital content editors from both stations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Managing Editor:

• Assigning/editing/quality controlling ongoing work of two full-time reporters and one part-time reporter.
• Setting editorial direction, standards and goals for organization;.
• Shaping reporter activities and broader editorial goals of the department;
• Building upon news team workflow system for assignments, tracking and slotting of content.
• Contributing to the creation of news content with original reporting, including spots, features, and interviews.
• Coordinating with current content, programming and online teams; • Maintaining and refining communication and contact points with KSUT programming, on-air, and online teams.
• Facilitate regular news editorial meetings and attend regular content meetings.
• Develop and implement strategy for regular KSUT-produced newscast.

Manage Additional News Content:

• Work with external content partners to identify, nurture and present new content to KSUT’s audience.
• Coordinate and update content planning spreadsheet.
• Subscribe to external content partner Slack channels and daybooks and schedule content for All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Four Corners Edition.

Four Corners Edition Producer:

• Edit scripts and hosts as needed.
• Train weekly hosts, as needed, in production and script writing.
• Procure locally produced and content partner stories for weekly news magazine.

Public Affairs:

• Work with station staff to identify and develop public affairs programming.

Additional Duties

• Provide in-house production and multi-track editing training and support for staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Three years of broadcast experience
• Three years editing experience (audio editing preferred)
• Experience managing news teams
• Strong voice, clear diction, confident on-air skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of FCC regulations
• Ability to operate a broadcast console
• Computer literate

Preferred Qualifications

This is an exempt, salaried position. Hours will be 40 per week, although some weeks will require more than 40 hours depending on events. Compensation is $50,000 annually with benefits.

To apply

Send a cover letter detailing your relevant professional work experience, resume, three professional references, and 2-3 audio and work samples to tami@ksut.org

Application deadline: June 1, 2023

The News Director is expected to live within the Four Corners region. The majority of their work will occur at the KSUT studios in Ignacio, Colorado but some remote work will be allowed.

Commitment to Diversity and Racial Equity

KSUT is an equal opportunity employer. The organization is dedicated to building a culturally diverse staff and creating a working environment that promotes racial equity and inclusiveness. We believe attracting and retaining diverse staff is crucial to serving our communities and fulfilling our mission. Women, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities and veterans are highly encouraged to apply.

Life in the area

We live, work, and play in one of the most beautiful natural settings in America. It's abundant in outdoor recreation (hiking, rafting, skiing) and exploration (archaeology, dark skies, live music). Durango is the region's population and commerce center, home to 20,000 people, Fort Lewis College, and a vibrant arts and food scene. Other towns in the area offer a quiet, rural lifestyle.

News Director Job (PDF)

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