Local cable systems provide subscribing customers with a clear television signal delivered directly to the home via cable.

To accomplish this, the local cable system typically requires the combined efforts of a variety of skilled persons. In smaller systems, however, one person may perform more than one of these functions:

General Manager

Operational affairs of the cable system, interpreting and applying the policies of corporate management, and coordinating all functions of the system are all run by the head of the cable system office, the General Manager.

The General Manager recommends policies for system growth with regard to marketing, public services, engineering, and programming. He or she also implements and manages of the system's budget and fiscal procedures, and is responsible for the development of employment policies, employee benefit plans, and personnel policies. In addition, the General Manager will assist the executive staff in planning system expansion and will evaluate and contract with suppliers for technical materials and equipment.

Upper level management (those who report directly to the General Manager) is made up of department heads from the technical, administrative, marketing/public affairs/advertising and programming/productive divisions. Q


Technical
Chief Engineer

The Chief Engineer position requires superior management skills as well as first-rate technical knowledge. The Chief Engineer oversees all technical concepts of cable system design, equipment planning and layout for cable communications service, specification of standards for equipment and material, construction of facilities and equipment installation, and he or she also secures technical advice and counsel to the various staff and system operating managers

Most Chief Engineers are responsible for supervising all the activities of the engineering staff. They are instrumental in proposing new technical services and developing new products for use by the system. If the system is involved in construction, the Chief Engineer will direct this activity as well. In addition, the Chief Engineer will participate in market development activities, give technical advice and counsel of franchise renewal, and present oral technical updates to municipal representatives. The Chief Engineer also assists in preparation of the system's capital budget and general development plans. Q

Chief Technician

The Chief Technician is the most highly skilled of the technical staff. As the supervisor of all technicians, the Chief Technician normally does not work in the field, but may be required to do so when complex problems arise.

The primary function of the Chief Technician is to assure high-quality signal delivery of satellite and microwave relays to the headend. The headend contains a variety of antennae to receive broadcast, microwave, and satellite signals. These signals are passed through a series of electronic devices that amplify and process them for retransmission to the subscriber's home. Because this equipment is highly sensitive to temperature and humidity, it requires constant control and monitoring. The Chief Technician is responsible for maintaining this complex equipment. As a member of the supervisory staff, the Chief Technician must also set performance standards, conduct salary reviews, and handle personnel matters. Q

Trunk Technician

The Trunk Technician is called upon to correct any electronic failures in the main line or the feeder amplifier. The trunk line is the main artery of a cable system and is strung along main streets or highways of a city to the system's plant area. Problems in this line could conceivably impede service to a large number of subscribers. Thus, these lines must be carefully maintained. Q

Service Technician

The Service Technician is another member of the technical staff. The Service Technician responds to problems that occur with a subscriber's cable reception. This often requires service calls to the home, but the Service Technician also works on the amplifiers, poles, and lines. Service Technicians are called upon to correct electrical malfunctions, in addition to actual physical repair of the plant. The technicians must practice preventive maintenance by electronically scanning the system periodically to detect problems before they reach major proportions. Q

Bench Technician

The Bench Technician, a highly-specialized technician, operates the cable system's repair facility. Broken or malfunctioning pieces of equipment, such as cable converters, are brought to the repair facility for examination by the Bench Technician. This technician must diagnose the problem with the broken part, repair it, record the repair, and return the malfunctioning piece to use if possible. Because the actual analysis and repair are completed by this technician, the position requires a strong electronics background. The Bench Technician does not work in the field. Q

Installer

Generally, the first step on a cable technician's career ladder is the position of the Installer. An Installer prepares the customer's home for cable reception, which may require running a cable wire from a utility pole to an outlet in the home. The connection to the TV set may include a special terminal device called a converter, depending upon the services the customer desires.

Upgrades (adding service devices) in the subscriber's home, servicing feeder lines (intermediate cable lines that run from the street to small clusters of homes), drop lines (which are the direct cable lines to the home, and disconnecting service are all handled by installers.

The installer is given the task of explaining the operation of the system to the subscriber and describing the channels and programming available. Close work with customer is required; an Installer must be courteous and enjoy working with the public. Q



Administrative
The administrative staff, or Customer Service Department, coordinates the technical staff for responses to subscriber requests for service installation and repair.

Office Manager

At the head of the administrative staff is the Office Manager, who is responsible for smooth operation of daily business activities. His or her primary responsibility is the monitoring of the accounts receivable and payable ledgers. The Office Manager monitors the activity of the customer service department to assure prompt handling of customer inquiries and complaints. He or she compiles written reports on business activity for review by the General Manager and system Accountant and supervises office staff training, hiring, and work assignments. Q

Customer Service Representative (CSR)

Customer service calls, orders for installation, and matters pertaining to payments are directed to a Customer Service Representative (CSR). Since the customer appreciates a prompt response, calls must be acted upon immediately, and accurate records must be kept of customer contact. This includes follow-up calls made after installation has been completed and calls related to delinquent accounts. Satisfied customers are the key to a successful system; therefore, tactfulness and courtesy, as well as the ability to maintain accurate records, are required for this position. Q

Service Dispatcher

The Service Dispatcher receives requests for new cable service and reports of service interruptions from the Customer Service Department and dispatches this information to the field. The Service Dispatcher monitors service, installation, trunk line dispatches, and requests for disconnects, and keeps a record of these communications. He or she must call to determine if an outage has occurred in a single home or is spread over a larger area, as this helps to determine the severity of a problem and who should be called to perform the repair. Q

Accounts Payable Clerk

Another member of the administrative staff is the Accounts Payable Clerk, who handles deposits, payment of bills, outstanding purchase orders, and payroll. Often this person assists management and staff in preparation of cost estimates, budgets, and performance reports. Under the direction of the General Manager or the Office Manager, the Accounts Payable Clerk often functions as an executive secretary and, in the absence of the manager, may sign forms and vouchers, approve invoices, and handle other matters according to policy. Q

Accounts Receivable Clerk

The Accounts Receivable Clerk is fundamental in tying together the activities of the service area. The primary responsibility of the Accounts Receivable Clerk is to keep an accurate record of payments made by customers. A current list of delinquent accounts must be kept for the accounting department to assure appropriate action. In addition to mailed payments, the Receivable Clerk must handle over-the-counter payments and may be in charge of petty cash disbursements. It is necessary for the Accounts Receivable Clerk to be familiar with the cable system's computerized billing service and the financial reports it produces. Q

Billing Clerk

Also participating in the billing aspect of the system's operation is the Billing Clerk. The primary responsibilities of this person are the computation and distribution of monthly statements. These include the general bill for basic cable service as well as additional charges for pay services. Records must be kept of delinquent bills and non-payment disconnects, and they are then monitored in conjunction with the accounts receivable department. Typically, a cable system has a computerized billing system to track payment activity and changes in a customer's cable service. The billing system will then generate appropriate billing statements, which are sent to subscribers on a monthly basis. Q

Accountant/Bookkeeper

Many systems hire a full-time Accountant/Bookkeeper to oversee all budgetary matters. This position varies greatly from system to system. A large system will most likely employ its own Accountant or Bookkeeper. The primary function of the position is to maintain accurate ledgers on both accounts receivable and payable and to provide a monthly financial statement in preparation for the annual audit. In smaller systems, this responsibility is often given to an outside accounting firm.



Marketing
Public Affairs Director

The Public Affairs Director serves as a liaison between the cable system and the local government and community which it serves, which often includes working with local government officials who monitor the local cable franchise and meeting with civic groups to discuss cable programming and service. The director usually beomces involved in organizing projects and events to help support the community and alerting the local media to progress and changes within the cable system.

As cable continues to mature as an industry, local systems are committed to serving various needs of the community through unique programs and nationwide efforts such as Cable in the Classroom, the Future is on Cable, and Cable's High Speed Education Connection. Q

Marketing Director

The Marketing Director is responsible for increasing the number of subscribers to the cable system. He or she develops and coordinates all marketing activity by creating promotional programs, overseeing market research, and supervising advertising to ensure public acceptance of services and products. Q

Researcher

An intriguing component of the marketing department is research. The Researcher determines community needs by conducting demographic studies of the area. For example, if the study shows an active senior citizen population, the system may want to expand its channels and programming to satisfy the interests of viewers over 55 years old. Research studies are also utilized in expanding existing systems, determining saturation rates, and identifying additional programming needs. For an analytical or detail-oriented person, this is an area worth examining. Q

Sales Representatives

Once research is completed and promotional packages prepared, the system's cable services must be sold to the public. Sales Representatives conduct house-to-house calls and contact managers of hotels and apartment complexes to inform them of the benefits of cable TV. To complement the door-to-door drive, direct mail campaigns are also conducted, and the sales staff has input into the creation and implementation of promotional sales ideas. Many cable systems employ telemarketing sales representatives who call both non-subscribers and subscribers to sell cable service. Q

Ad Sales

Advertising is an area of the marketing department that is experiencing rapid growth as systems and merchants recognize cable's potential for targeted local and national advertising. Basic cable networks make from 2-4 minutes per hour available on their programs for use by local systems. The local systems may either insert their own promotional ads or sell the time to local merchants. Local airtime can be especially valuable to merchants in the region who want to appeal to a targeted demographic audience reached by a specific cable network.

The Ad Sales team markets the cable system as a viable medium for advertising products and services. The sales team will usually deal directly with local merchants, unlike national and international manufacturers, who are usually contacted through advertising agencies or representatives.

Advertisers have found a number of advantages to purchasing time on cable; the most dramatic is the reasonable rate charged per commercial. Local merchants can target a specific system and neighborhood, or work within an "interconnect" to advertise on a number of local cable systems. Q



Programming & Production
In recent years, programming and production have been a substantial growth area within many cable systems. Some of the most popular types of local origination programming include coverage of high school or college sports, meetings of the town council, and talk shows featuring local celebrities.

Director of Local Origination

The Director of Local Origination is responsible for creating and coordinating community programming, which inludes but is not limited to conceiving the program, writing the scripts, overseeing the technical production, and managing all programming staff.
The Director of Local Origination plans the budget for programming needs. Q

Director of Public Access

The Director of Public Access is responsible for the operation of cable channels made available for use by the public. If studio services and equipment are provided, this person will supervise, assist, and monitor the programs; however, the cable system has no authority over the content of the local access programming produced by the community. The complexity of this responsibility varies depending upon the sophistication of the facility and the needs of the community. To acquaint the public with the availability and operation of the service, the Director of Public Access may conduct a community education campaign.Q

Director of Governmental or Educational Programming

In addition to general public access channels, most systems offer governmental and educational access channels. Again, if the studio facilities are available, the Director of Governmental or Educational Access may be involved in the technical production and supervision of training for volunteers interested in using the facilities.

Scheduling of programs for public access also falls under the Director's jurisdiction. This involves making certain that there are no scheduling conflicts and that the shows are aired at the appropriate times. Some cable systems have helped establish a completely separate and independent access corporation or cooperative, which is charged with the day-to-day operations of the public access channel.

Producer

When a cable system produces its own programming, a staff is usually necessary for production. The responsibilities of a Producer vary depending on the size of the studio facilities. He or she will often select the cast, schedule the day-to-day rehearsals and taping sessions, write the script, and direct the camera and video staff. Producers will often make decisions concerning camera shots, angles, and choice of cameras used during actual production. In smaller operations, he or she will also run the video control board. A Producer may be hired for a single production or series, or may be retained on permanent staff. Q

Assistant Director

When the script is written and the visual interpretation prepared, it is the job of the Assistant Director to prepare the studio for production. This entails properly placing and checking equipment, coordinating timing with the camera crew, acting as a liaison between the Director and technical crew during production, and working the video control board. Q

Audio Technician

The production of original programming also requires quality sound and lighting. The Audio Technician is responsible for timing musical cues and monitoring all sound effects and dialogues for pitch and volume. This person also synchronizes the microphones used during production. Q

Lighting Technician

Shadows, highlights, and other lighting techniques can contribute to a certain ambience in a production. The Lighting Technician is responsible for reinforcing the mood and atmosphere of a production by creating special effects through lighting. Q

Floor Manager

During a production, the Floor Manager is in contact with the control room. He or she cues the camera and provides silent signals to the cast. Q

Editor

After completion of the filming or taping, the Editor, under the supervision of the Producer, electronically splices the tape and produces the program in its final form. Q

Studio Technician

The Studio Technician is responsible for the overall technical management of the studio. This technician will purchase and repair equipment, diagnose problems, and assure that the facility is operational.

The job functions described here are all necessary in the production of cable television programs. However, in practice, one technician will generally be responsible for several related functions. Specialized production jobs are only found in major market systems. Q