Class Code 7610
Radio, Television Or Commercial Broadcasting Stations
Class Code 7610 covers employees who work for radio, television and commercial broadcasting stations in California, including studio production, control room operations and transmitter work. The September 1, 2026 approved pure premium rate for this class is $0.549 per $100 of payroll, which employers should use as the baseline when budgeting workers' compensation costs.
What Class Code 7610 Covers
This classification applies to the operational side of commercial broadcasting: studio crews running cameras, audio boards and lighting; control room operators managing live feeds and switchers; broadcast engineers who install, maintain and repair transmitters, RF equipment and audio/video routing; and field electronic news gathering (ENG) crews who set up live remotes and record on-location segments. Work in transmitter rooms, equipment vaults, temporary outdoor remote broadcast sites and studio loading/rigging areas is included. Administrative or sales staff who perform purely clerical work are typically coded separately under office classifications, not 7610. High-risk specialty work such as professional tower erection or dedicated telecommunications contractor activities may require a different WCIRB code depending on exposure and contractual arrangements.
Who It Applies To
- Radio on-air talent, DJs and studio hosts involved in broadcast operations
- Television camera operators, lighting and grip crews
- Broadcast engineers and transmitter maintenance technicians
- Control room operators, audio mixers and technical directors
- Field reporters, ENG camera operators and live-remote crews
- Studio production crews, editors and teleprompter/graphics operators
Common Job Duties
- Operating cameras, switchers, audio consoles and lighting rigs during live or recorded broadcasts
- Setting up and striking remote broadcast equipment, cables, tripods and antennas
- Installing, testing and repairing transmitters, RF feeders, combiners and associated electrical equipment
- Running and securing coaxial, fiber and multicore cable through studios and to remote locations
- Mixing live audio, patching signals in control rooms, and monitoring broadcast feeds
- Transporting heavy production gear, lifting, and repetitive bending when moving cases and racks
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $0.549 Rate
The pure premium rate of $0.549 per $100 of payroll is the WCIRB-approved base cost to cover expected claim costs for this class. Insurers apply that pure premium to your reported payroll by class code to get the base premium, then modify it using your experience modification, policy-level adjustments, state assessments, credits or debits, and any deductible or retrospective rating plan to determine the final premium you pay.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
Cal/OSHA standards most relevant to broadcasters include fall protection and ladder safety for elevated studio rigs and towers, electrical safety and lockout/tagout for transmitter and equipment servicing, noise exposure controls for live events and rehearsals, and heat illness prevention for outdoor remote crews. Employers must perform hazard assessments, provide training and appropriate PPE, and control RF exposure near transmitters consistent with safety guidance and employer-responsibility rules.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 7610
A PEO like Key HR helps employers with class-code accuracy, consolidated payroll reporting, claims management and return-to-work programs that reduce lost-time exposure. We provide access to safety resources, training modules (e.g., tower/climb safety, LOTO, hearing conservation), managed medical networks and experience-mod improvement strategies to help control workers' comp costs for broadcasting operations.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does Class Code 7610 cover administrative and sales staff at a station?
No — clerical, administrative and sales employees are usually coded under office classifications (for example, the WCIRB office code). Only employees engaged in broadcasting operations, technical support and field production belong in 7610.
Are tower climbers and transmitter rigging specialists always in 7610?
Transmitter maintenance and routine antenna work at a station are typically part of 7610, but professional tower erection/major tower-climbing contractors or highly specialized rigging teams may be assigned a different class code because of the elevated fall and specialty hazards. Confirm with your broker or insurer.
What practical steps lower workers' comp costs for broadcasters?
Implement written safety programs (fall protection, LOTO, hearing conservation), routine equipment inspections, driver and remote-site safety policies, early-return-to-work plans, pre-hire lifting training and prompt claims reporting. Partnering with a PEO for managed care and safety training accelerates cost reduction.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 7610
- Classification
- Radio, Television Or Commercial Broadcasting Stations
- Pure Premium Rate
- $0.549 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
Manage Workers' Comp Through a PEO
Key HR provides pay-as-you-go workers' comp for California employers — no large deposits, no audits, better rates.
Get a Quoteor call (800) 922-4133Ready to Simplify Workers' Comp for Class Code 7610?
Key HR provides California employers with pay-as-you-go workers' comp, HR compliance support, and payroll — all through one PEO partnership.