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Broadcasting (except Internet): NAICS 515

About the Broadcasting (except Internet) subsector

The broadcasting (except internet) subsector is part of the information sector.

Industries in the Broadcasting (except Internet) subsector include establishments that create content or acquire the right to distribute content and subsequently broadcast the content. The industry groups (Radio and Television Broadcasting and Cable and Other Subscription Programming) are based on differences in the methods of communication and the nature of services provided. The Radio and Television Broadcasting industry group includes establishments that operate broadcasting studios and facilities for over the air or satellite delivery of radio and television programs of entertainment, news, talk, and the like. These establishments are often engaged in the production and purchase of programs and generating revenues from the sale of air time to advertisers and from donations, subsidies, and/or the sale of programs. The Cable and Other Subscription Programming industry group includes establishments operating studios and facilities for the broadcasting of programs that are typically narrowcast in nature (limited format, such as news, sports, education, and youth-oriented programming) on a subscription or fee basis.

North American Industry Classification System

The broadcasting (except internet) subsector consists of these industry groups:

  • Radio and Television Broadcasting: NAICS 5151
  • Cable and Other Subscription Programming: NAICS 5152

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in broadcasting (except internet). While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, union membership and representation, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment and Unemployment

Data series Back
data
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024

Employment (in thousands)

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)

342.3 343.0 (p)343.2 (p)341.4

Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees

269.3 270.9 (p)270.1  

Unemployment

Unemployment rate

8.7% 2.6% 1.6% 3.8%

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey

Union Membership and Representation

Data series Back
data
2020 2021 2022 2023

Union membership and representation

Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)

7.6% 8.9% 11.3% 9.7%

Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)

8.7% 10.7% 11.5% 10.1%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2022

Advertising sales agents

21,470

Broadcast technicians

18,720

Producers and directors

40,320

Radio and television announcers

23,360

Reporters and correspondents

22,900

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for broadcasting (except internet).

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours, as well as weekly earnings by union membership status, are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in broadcasting (except internet).

Earnings and Hours of All Employees

Data series Back
data
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Average hourly earnings

$49.89 $50.08 $49.87 (p)$50.70

Average weekly hours

36.6 36.0 35.7 (p)35.9

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series Back
data
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Average hourly earnings

$40.27 $40.47 $40.39 (p)$41.81

Average weekly hours

36.3 35.9 35.7 (p)36.6

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series Back
data
Median weekly earnings
2020 2021 2022 2023

Union membership and representation

Full-time workers

$1,118 $1,213 $1,479 $1,426

Members of unions

-$ -$ -$ -$

Represented by unions

-$ -$ -$ -$

Nonunion

$1,077 $1,199 $1,475 $1,314

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2022
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Advertising sales agents

26.25 33.86 54,600 70,420

Broadcast technicians

22.11 39.88 46,000 82,950

Producers and directors

32.32 54.34 67,220 113,030

Radio and television announcers

19.10 80.51 39,730 167,460

Reporters and correspondents

32.04 52.79 66,650 109,810

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in broadcasting (except internet). An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series 2019 2020 2021 2022

Fatalities

Number of fatalities

  3 6 5

Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Data series 2022

Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers

Total recordable cases

0.8

Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer

0.4

Cases involving days away from work

0.3

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

0.1

Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Prices

This section provides industry-specific pricing information. The producer price index measures the percentage change in prices that domestic producers receive for goods and services. The prices included in the producer price index are from the first commercial transaction.

Data series Back
data
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024

Producer price index

(p)121.577 (p)123.882 (p)116.210 (p)115.770

Percent change from previous month

  (p)5.5% (p)1.9% (p)-6.2% (p)-0.4%

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments in broadcasting (except internet). Also included in this section is information on productivity, presented as the rate of change in output per hour of workers in the industry.

Establishments

Data series Back
data
1st quarter
2021
2nd quarter
2021
3rd quarter
2021
4th quarter
2021

Number of establishments

Private industry

9,405 9,523 9,585 9,694

Local government

34 34 34 34

State government

66 66 66 61

Federal government

3 3 3 3

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Productivity

Data series Back
data
2019 2020 2021 2022

Labor productivity index, output per hour

130.532 142.579 165.130 163.179

Percent change from previous year

-5.9 9.2 15.8 -1.2

Labor index, total labor hours

92.845 85.863 80.523 80.769

Percent change from previous year

2.6 -7.5 -6.2 0.3

Output index

121.192 122.423 132.968 131.798

Percent change from previous year

-3.4 1.0 8.6 -0.9

Unit labor costs index

98.663 93.129 83.542 77.170

Percent change from previous year

8.6 -5.6 -10.3 -7.6

(Source: Productivity and Costs)

 

Data extracted on: March 15, 2024