This document outlines the key differences between commercial and non-commercial broadcast stations, as well as the major departments within broadcast stations. Commercial stations exist primarily as a business to generate advertising revenue, while non-commercial stations must have activities motivated by reasons other than profit. Non-commercial stations can be run by governments to share information, colleges and universities to restrict signals to campuses, or religious groups to propagate their faith. The five major departments in broadcast stations are managerial, engineering, programming, sales, and traffic.

1. COMMERCIAL
vs.
NON-
COMMERCIAL
STATIONS

2. COMMERCIAL STATIONS
•Uses broadcast facilities for
advertising purposes, and exist
primarily as a business
enterprise.

3. NON- COMMERCIAL
STATIONS
Stations activity must be
found in a reason other
than the profit motive.

4. Nature of the
Organizations or
institutions

5. GOVERNMENT
Promotes good will by interpreting
one’s country to the world through the
presentation of the truth about
national and international events.

6. COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES
•Restrict it’s signals to the campus
of educational institution owning
the station.

7. RELIGIOUS GROUPS
•Owned by a church or religious
organization which exist for the
purpose of propagating a
particular faith.

8. 5 MAJOR DEPARTMENTS
IN BROADCAST STATIONS

9. MANAGERIAL
•Determines general station
policies

10. ENGINEERING
•This departments selects, buys and
maintains all technical equipment. It
also operates the transmitter and
handle control room activities.

11. •The Chief Engineering is the
one responsible for
technical functioning

12. PROGRAMMING
• The activities of this department include
the planning of the programs, script
writing, acting announcing, production,
directing, sound effects, and music. The
program director is in charge of the whole
department.

13. SALES
• This phase of broadcasting activity is
under the direction of a sales manager.
He supervises the work “time” salesmen
who sells programs and commercial
announcements.

14. •To attract audiences for programs
already sold to sponsors which is
called “MERCHANDISING”

15. TRAFFIC
•This department executes the first
condition of broadcast schedules
and activities with studious
available, performers present and
materials being ready at a precise
instant.

16. •The “TIME KEEPER”
of the station