Music Director, CMS

Who We Are: 

The mission of American Public Media Group (APMG) is to enrich the mind and nourish the spirit, thereby enhancing the lives and expanding the perspectives of our audiences and assisting them in strengthening their communities.  We aspire to be the leader in creating trusted and meaningful listening experiences with and for curious people, and we seek to create a diverse, inclusive culture focused on growth and outcomes to serve our audiences. 

APMG's primary operating divisions Minnesota Public Radio, Southern California Public Radio and American Public Media offer multi-regional FM broadcast channels, website, mobile and social media channels, live events, national content creation and distribution. Together, these divisions operate 49 public radio stations and 42 translators serving regional audiences in eight states from Minnesota, Michigan and the Upper Midwest to Idaho and California; distribute a portfolio of more than twenty national programs reaching nearly 20MM listeners weekly through 1,000 radio stations; serve rapidly growing audiences on digital, social and mobile platforms; and produce an increasing and diverse array of podcasts featuring the best in food, culture, entertainment, mental health, water, early brain development, business and investigative journalism. 

Your Role:

Classical Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media is the nation's largest non-commercial provider of classical music. This includes a regional radio network in the upper Midwest, and its flagship station KSJN/Minneapolis-St. Paul. Nationally this includes Classical 24, the 24-hour service carried by 215 stations, as well as several lifestyle-oriented classical music streams featured on our websites. As the Music Director, you are responsible for programming all these and working closely with an Associate Music Director, and other stakeholders. The weekly cumulative radio audience is estimated at 1.8M weekly listeners for Classical MPR regionally and C24 nationally (Nielsen Audio, Persons 12+, Fall 2019). The digital audience growth has been strong and is projected to continue in the next year.

As the Music Director, you join a team of passionate, creative, audience-focused public-media hosts and producers who pride themselves on creating best-in-class classical music audio.

Application deadline: Open until filled

Position Responsibility:

• Establish daily programming needs, in collaboration with Classical MPR Program Director and with input from other staff; choose and oversee classical music selections.
• Lead effort in developing playlists for Classical MPR and C24. This includes music selection for regular daily needs with an awareness of day-parting and clock demands; and special requirements such as on-air fundraising, programming for holidays, special features, etc.
• Oversee classical music selections for Classical MPR’s digital audio streams.
• Oversee classical music library, establishing policy and procedures.
• Work with digital staff to support and create engaging content (streams) on classical website.
• Maintain relationships with classical music record labels.
• As an authority on classical music and on our daily programming, provide information and advice to internal and external customers.
• Hires, supervises, trains, and manages direct staff by providing work direction, constructive performance coaching, and on-going feedback, as well as creating development opportunities to enhance skills and foster growth.
• As a member of the Classical Leadership and Music Editorial groups, participate in departmental planning and in the establishment of long-term strategies and goals.
• As a leader in the Classical department, help foster a creative and collegial work environment.  
• Other duties as assigned (e.g. working on special programs, participating in fundraising).

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Music or related field or equivalent work experience.  
• 5 years experience in programming classical music for radio and/or internet distribution.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• Understanding of the art and craft of radio, especially classical music radio programming and its needs.
• Understand and appreciate the potential for online classical audience engagement and growth.
• Knowledge of classical music and its concepts (composers, performers, repertoire, historical periods, styles, etc.).
• Ability to judge performances, recordings and pieces and anticipate how they will sound on air and be received by listeners.
• Ability to manage programming team’s calendar and work-flow.
• Ability to be flexible under pressure of daily workflow, able to work effectively and collaboratively.
• Ability to write and communicate clearly, orally and in writing.
• Leadership and personnel skills and ability to motivate employees, train and grow staff

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Supervisory experience.
• On-air experience.
• Knowledge of classical recording industry.
• Detailed knowledge of MusicMaster scheduling software and database.

Reporting To This Position:   

• Associate Music Director
• Part-time programming staff

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation
• Physical Demands:  Required to walk, sit, and stand; reach with hands and arms; balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch; Frequent use of hands for data entry/keystrokes and simple grasping.   
• Working Conditions:  Moderate noise level, occasional exposure to prevalent weather conditions.
• Position may require travel for meetings and conferences

 

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply.