Rotation
Rotation refers to how often and in what order radio stations play their songs or content throughout the day. It's like a carefully planned schedule that determines when specific songs or advertisements will be broadcast. Radio stations use different types of rotations (heavy, medium, or light) to control how frequently listeners hear certain songs - for example, popular hits might be in "heavy rotation" meaning they play more often. This term is fundamental to radio programming and helps stations maintain their format while keeping listeners engaged.
Examples in Resumes
Managed rotation schedules for top 40 music format, increasing listener retention by 25%
Developed strategic rotation patterns for prime-time programming slots
Optimized music rotations and playlist rotations across multiple dayparts
Typical job title: "Music Directors"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Music Directors
Professional Organizations
Job Boards
Industry Networks
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How would you develop a rotation strategy for a new radio format?
Expected Answer: A senior candidate should explain how they would analyze the target audience, market research, competitor analysis, and how they would structure different rotation categories (power, regular, and recurrent songs) across different times of day.
Q: How do you measure the success of your rotation strategy?
Expected Answer: They should discuss using ratings data, audience feedback, listening time metrics, and how to adjust rotations based on these metrics while maintaining the station's format integrity.
Mid Level Questions
Q: How do you balance new music adds with existing rotation?
Expected Answer: Should demonstrate understanding of how to introduce new songs while maintaining familiar favorites, and how to use audience research to make these decisions.
Q: Explain how you would adjust rotations for different dayparts.
Expected Answer: Should show knowledge of how listener habits change throughout the day and how to adjust music selection and frequency accordingly.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What's the difference between heavy, medium, and light rotation?
Expected Answer: Should explain that heavy rotation means playing songs more frequently (like current hits), medium for regular plays, and light for occasional plays.
Q: How do you maintain variety in song rotation?
Expected Answer: Should discuss basic concepts of spacing out similar songs, managing tempo, and ensuring artist separation in the schedule.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic understanding of music scheduling software
- Knowledge of rotation categories
- Playlist organization
- Basic music library management
Mid (2-5 years)
- Advanced rotation strategy implementation
- Daypart programming
- Audience analysis
- Format clock creation
Senior (5+ years)
- Strategic format development
- Ratings analysis and optimization
- Staff training and development
- Music research interpretation
Red Flags to Watch For
- No understanding of basic radio formatting principles
- Lack of experience with music scheduling software
- Poor knowledge of audience demographics and listening patterns
- No familiarity with ratings and audience measurement
Related Terms
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