CFMU Music Director

Please note this job will close Tuesday, February 3rd at 11:59pm.  

Reports to: CFMU Program Director  

Rate:  C4   10-12 hours

Term: Sept 1 - April 30 

CFMU is your campus radio station, sending broadcasting signals from the basement of the Student Centre, to you! Bringing together the voice of McMaster students and members of the Hamilton Community, 93.3 CFMU is the station for the everyday listener. As a community radio station, content is developed with the local audience in mind. 

The station can be heard on a regular FM radio, Spotify or on the CFMU website. Programming is created by station volunteers consisting of McMaster students and members of the Hamilton Community. CFMU broadcasts a variety of music, hosts an assortment of characters, and discusses a range of important topics. 

General Scope of Duties  

The Music Director oversees the CFMU music library, including training of the music committee, acquisition and processing of music into the database. The Music Director acts as the point of contact for submissions and tracking of music. The Music Director participates in on-air, on-screen, and blog productions of the music department. 

 Major Duties and Responsibilities  

Music Library and Supervisory Function      50%                                

• Recruit, train, and supervise the Music department assistants responsible for processing material  


• Assist in the promotion, recruitment, training, and coordination of Music volunteers  


• Assist in training of new and returning volunteers on the procedures and policies of CFMU Radio Inc.  CRTC regulations for campus/community radio – including Canadian Content regulations and production techniques; employ both group and on-on-one training techniques  


• Prepare and execute delivery of album reviews in various forms, including on-air, blog, and video formats  


• Assemble and update music charts across multiple platforms 


• Curate the Top Five video on a weekly basis  


• Regularly contribute other music-related articles for the CFMU blog  


• Assist in the placement of music volunteers to ensure all music programs are diverse and meet CFMU’s broadcast standards  


• Conduct regular Music department meetings  

Communications Function             40%  

• Develop and maintain systems to ensure that Music volunteers are provided with the information and material they require to effectively air programs and enrich their audience  


• Catalogue material and information for Music volunteers to effectively produce programs and enrich their listener ship  


• Make recommendations to the CFMU Programming Committee on ideas and program proposals which would improve the music department  


• Develop and maintain contact with key people in the MSU, clubs, McMaster University, record labels, and the community to ensure that information is communicated to the music volunteers and programming staff  


• Act as a point of contact for musicians and promoters contacting the station


• Prepare for submission to the Program Director; an annual year plan (summer) and a year end report (March)  


• Attend and participate in mandatory weekly CFMU staff meetings   

Advertising & Promotions Function           5%  

• Ensure that all features of the Music department are promoted appropriately, using both the campus and community media and contacts  


• Use promotional carts and posters to promote Music programs available through CFMU-FM  


• Assist with CFMU Welcome Week promotions  

Other            5%  

• Research and recommend new programs which may benefit CFMU’s Music department as a member of the Programming Committee  


• Participate in fundraising drives and motivate volunteers to participate in fundraising initiatives  


• Provide transition for the incoming Music Director  


• Ensure that an accurate and up-to-date catalogue of band biographies and music information is available as a resource for all Music volunteers  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  

• Strong communication skills for volunteer management and caller inquiries 


• Strong organizational skills to prioritize large volumes of emails  


• Interpersonal skills to effectively interact with staff, volunteers, and guests  


• Will need to be charismatic and encouraging to engage and motivate volunteers  


• Time management skills   


• Conflict mediation skills are an asset  


• Passion, interest, and knowledge in music is   

Effort & Responsibility  

• Judgment required to make programming decisions for the department Creativity and strong judgment to effectively plan music programs and broadcasts, considering quality, suitability, language content, and local / Canadian requirements 


• Initiative required to develop systems for the gathering of information and for the development of new programs  


• Effort to stay knowledgeable about new releases that CFMU would value and utilize the volunteer to assist with music submissions  


• Long periods of time spent at a computer  

Working Conditions  

• Duties are performed in an office or in the on-air and production studios of CFMU-FM  


• Time demands may exceed stated hours of work  

Training and Experience  

• Previous experience within the station is an asset  


• Training on office systems, processes, and software will be provided 


• Experience with production and video editing is an asset but not   


• Social media management experience is an asset  


• Experience writing and blogging is an asset  

Equipment  

• All broadcast equipment  


• Computer  


• Knowledge of radio production facilities