TV Production career advice

[segagamer12]

Alright so I will be quick. I currently work for a local TV news station. My official title is Video Editor, I am essentially an Assistant Producer, I edit videos for news stories, create graphics for the shows, pull videos from national sources and trim/edit them for the show, etc. Currently I am working part-time. The dilemma is I love editing I want to be a producer or cinematographer someday. I also currently fill-in as studio camera operator and I have trained on sound board. This is all good and I love what I do but the hours suck, the pay sucks, I can't exactly move without getting some money saved up and I can't even really afford to pay my bills.


Here is my question, there is a full-time position open at my TV station that I would qualify for and would really enjoy, Master Control Operator. This is a full-time job with benefits and good pay, much batter than what I am doing now. But if I take a Master Control position will that stunt my ability to move up the ladder to a bigger market as an editor? I am still in college so working for a TV station now gives me an edge over having to do the internship route so I am happy with my job but I am struggling to pay bills.

Does anyone who works in TV know if taking a master control job will benefit me or not? Once I finish college I plan on sending my reel out to bigger stations but if I walk away from the video editor position I lose the benefit of working directly as an editor. The trade off is better pay *now* but uncertainty if this will lead to the type of job I want. I understand Master Control is pretty much an entry level type position as it is so I am worried that despite better hours, and better pay it will be a step down from what I am doing.

Aside from my primary duties as news AP, I also edit a full 30 minute pre-taped delayed aired program that we run on weekends and on the web. This is a great program for my resume because I edit the entire 30 minute program including inserting all the lower thirds, graphics, name supers, all directly into the video feeds manually so I do a lot of real editing verses the news editing which is well mostly just trimming for time and leveling the audio.

I love editing videos and I really enjoy filling in on studio cameras because I am in the studio working cameras with the anchors, its a great job but the pay and the hours suck. My other option is to take up a part-time job elsewhere but the local job market sucks my choices are typical manual labor, customer service, cashier type jobs, or working for a factory.


I am just looking for some pointers from people in the business. I am really worried that if I move into MC position I will be running into a dead-end but I am just wondering if maybe that isn't really the case if it is an entry level position. I know people at our station who started in MC but they moved into traffic, not much of a difference and certainly not the hands on editing that I want to do. I can still do videos on the side and while in college to build my resume plus I am always looking for freelance jobs online too so maybe I am worried for nothing. Sorry for long rant I don't belong to many forums and this is the closest place to getting answers I could go to.