Freelance Senior Television Media Buyer (Contract)

Position: Freelance Senior Television Media Buyer (Traditional TV)
Duration: ASAP through year-end (with potential for extension)
Location: Remote (U.S.)

Overview

Cronin, a full-service advertising agency, is seeking an experienced Senior Television Media Buyer to support a significant traditional television buying initiative beginning ASAP.

This role is ideal for a seasoned broadcast media professional who can immediately step into an active buying environment with minimal training. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, negotiating, executing, stewarding, and optimizing television campaigns across 15 television DMAs with 60+ stations.

We are looking for someone who has spent their career buying television—not a digital media buyer with limited TV experience.

Primary Responsibilities

Negotiate and execute local television buys across approximately 15 designated market areas (DMAs)
Maintain station relationships
Evaluate proposals and negotiate rates, inventory, added value, and positioning
Build and maintain schedules within Strata
Process revisions, change orders, and traffic instructions
Steward campaigns throughout flight dates
Secure and negotiate makegoods as needed
Monitor delivery and resolve discrepancies with station representatives
Review post logs and reconcile buys
Collaborate with internal media planning and account teams
Ensure campaigns are executed accurately, efficiently, and within budget

Required Qualifications

5+ years of traditional television buying experience (7+ years strongly preferred)
Expert-level proficiency with Strata
Extensive experience negotiating with local television stations
Proven track record of negotiating premium programming placements while maximizing cost efficiency and meeting campaign goals.
Strong understanding of:
- Broadcast television
- Local cable
- Nielsen ratings
- CPP and CPM analysis
- Market negotiations
- Stewardship and reconciliation
- Makegoods
Ability to independently manage multiple markets simultaneously
Exceptional organization and attention to detail
Strong communication skills and responsiveness

Preferred Qualifications

Agency experience managing regional or national television campaigns
Experience buying across multiple DMAs concurrently
Familiarity with political buying environments and inventory constraints
Experience working remotely with agency teams

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a highly experienced television buyer who can quickly integrate into our workflow and requires little day-to-day oversight. They are confident negotiating directly with station representatives, highly proficient in Strata, and comfortable managing a complex, multi-market television campaign from start to finish.

Engagement Details

Contract/Freelance
Remote
Starting ASAP through December (with possible extension)
Project includes buying and stewardship for campaigns across 15 television markets
Flexible hourly commitment based on campaign activity

To Apply

Please provide:

Resume
Summary of traditional television buying experience
Years of experience using Strata
Approximate annual television budgets managed
Availability beginning ASAP

Important: We are specifically seeking a career television buyer with extensive traditional broadcast buying experience and expert-level Strata proficiency. This is not a digital media buying role, and candidates whose primary background is paid social, programmatic, search, or digital media—even if they have some TV experience—will not be a fit. We are looking for someone who has managed significant traditional television buys and can immediately step into a multi-market buying assignment with minimal training.

Cronin and Company

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Freelance Senior Television Media Buyer (Contract)