TV station news employment is at its second highest level
ever, according to the latest Radio-Television Digital News Association/Hofstra
University poll.
In 2011, TV news staffs increased overall by 1,131 jobs to a
total of 27,653, up 4.3% over the year before, making it the second highest
employment level behind 2000, when the station average was lower, but more
stations were doing local news.
Currently there are 725 stations originating local news,
with another 242 stations running local news from one of those 725.
By comparison, newspaper newsroom employment was down 2.4%
in 2011 from the previous year.
A majority of the news directors polled said they expected
no staff cuts or additions in 2012, though of those who said there would be
changes, fifteen times as many said they would be adding than those who said they would be
cutting. The ration for 2010 was 10 to one.
RTDNA-Hofstra surveyed 1,735 TV stations in the fourth quarter of 2011.
