For all you sitcom fans, a sad day occurred seven years ago this month when actress/producer/TV executive Mary Tyler Moore passed away. On just about every list you see online about the top 10 sitcoms of all time, her eponymous show almost always shows up. The Mary Tyler Moore Show wasn’t just a huge hit that spawned several successful spinoffs based on its great writing and rich characters. Ms. Moore’s show was groundbreaking in many ways, particularly in how women are depicted in the media.
As I reviewed this post so you could read it today, you’ll see a list of female executives in the field of radio. Interestingly, many are still holding down the same senior positions they did back in 2017. For those who have moved on and/or retired, many have been replaced by other women. Abby Goldstein now runs PRPD (newly branded as the Public Media Content Collective), Susan Larkin holds the same position Weezie Kramer did at Audacy/Entercom, Joyce MacDonald is CEO of Greater Public, Stephanie Theisen was recently appointed Leighton Media’s COO, and the impressive list goes on.
Michelle Vetterkind, president/CEO of the Wisconsin Broadcasters, is mentioned in the post, along with Karole White, now retired from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. In writing this intro, I checked the current executive directors of state broadcasters associations and counted 19 women running these important organizations on behalf of broadcasters around the country. And of course, there are the hundreds of female market managers, corporate executives, board members, and entrepreneurs running their own companies who are women.
I don’t have data to support this, but my sense is that broadcast radio has done a better job than the tech sector of placing women in high-level industry positions.
If I omitted someone – or missed YOU – please let me know.
Somewhere Mary Richards is smiling. – FJ
January 2017
The passing of actress and producer Mary Tyler Moore last week ushered in a flood of memories to anyone who grew up in the ‘70s enjoying the many great sitcoms of that era. But beyond being funny, some actually delivered a message.
For All In The Family, it was Norman Lear’s ability to break down bigotry, racism, and stereotypes. With Good Times, it was a positive and funny depiction of African-American families. In MAS*H, it was sarcastic humor cleverly revealing the horrors of war.
And for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, it was a message to young women and girls they could be single and successful in a traditional workplace, all the while managing the male-dominated environment with skill, humor, and grace.
The Mary Richards character was effective, smart, and clever, deftly working with the quirky news team at WJM-TV in Minneapolis to produce a show each day. Mary was always capable and determined, often holding the group together.
And it’s significant that four decades later, the media world has become considerably more populated with women executives, often at the highest levels. That’s especially the case in radio.
Mary Berner (Cumulus), Caroline Beasley (Beasley), Ginny Morris (Hubbard), Mary Quass (NRG), Kim Guthrie (Cox), Cathy Hughes (Radio One), Beth Neuhoff (Neuhoff Communications), and others have all made their way to radio’s corner offices – an all-time high representation of female leadership in the industry.
And there are the many women in senior management positions in both commercial and public radio, as well as other sectors, including Weezie Kramer (Entercom), Erica Farber (RAB), Jody Evans (PRPD), Julie Talbott (Premiere Networks), Kerri Hoffman (PRX), and leaders of state broadcasting associations like Karole White (MAB), Michelle Vetterkind (WBA), and others.
I have a feeling many spent their Saturday nights watching Mary Richards navigating that crazy newsroom, a job that paid less than a secretarial position. She was struggling to impact the media workplace back when many of these female execs were growing up, and now they’re running the show.
The Mary Tyler Moore Show was at the leading edge of many major issues, such as gender roles, income inequality, pre-marital sex, and simply the way co-workers interacted with one another on the job. Over the past week, we’ve seen clips from the old shows, and the difference between then and now is stark, almost embarrassing. Today, the show’s impact is on display at the top of many of the organizational charts of today’s radio companies.
But aside from those who have attained leadership positions, you can feel the effect of women in the radio workplace in even the routine meetings that take place every day. Just as the casual banter between Mary, Murray, and even Ted, shifted the focus of many conversations in the WJM-TV newsroom, women in radio at all levels have brought an entirely different spirit and point of view to everything from music meetings to strategic sessions to sales meetings.
Last week, many had the chance to reminisce about that famous Mary Richards hat toss on Nicollet Mall that opened each show.
Hats off to the women in radio who are changing the industry.
I’m sure we missed some of the best and brightest women in radio. Please use the “Comments” section below to add to this post.
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There are now three women General Managers in outstanding Southeastern Michigan Public radio stations: Molly Motherwell for WEMU, Wendy Turner for WUOM and Mary Zatina at WDET. Plus – while she isn’t the GM, I shout out Bridgette Blackburn, the WRCJ Operations Manager. The station just wouldn’t be on the air without her. Thanks, Jacobloggers for this Throwback Thursday post.
I did not make the local public radio connection, Linda, so thanks for making it for me. The market managers at Audacy and Beasley in Detroit – Debbie Kenyon and Patti Taylor – are both women. I’m sure I missed many others.
As a bit of a cultural note…people stayed home to watch TV on Saturday nights.
Not sure if anyone else had this experience but we didn’t have a remote control, that job was left to which ever kid was closest to the TV.
“Go change the channel ________ is coming on.”
Back in the days when a TV weighed almost as much as a washing machine. 🙂
Jerry, chanaging channels required the commitment of getting off you butt and walking across the room. We probably watched a lot more TV we didn’t want to watch out of pure laziness.
Shout out to Sandi Brown, founder and president, 99.1 Joy! FM, St. Louis.
MTM theme song lyrics also empowering.
A brilliant post! Thank you for delightful memories.
Of note is that the lyrics were significantly changed after the first season. The original lyrics were significantly more serious–e.g., starting with “How will you make it on your own?”, which became “Who can turn the world on with her smile?”
For a poppier/more-upbeat version with the later lyrics, here’s Hüsker Dü…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks0to2QuJtM
I’m glad it resonated for you, Dawn.