s
We talk a lot about where radio is going at this time when it so obvious the industry is at a critical crossroads. Identifying new trends as well as the lasting vestiges of the past are all part of the challenge moving forward.
The radio business is undergoing seismic shifts. The role of ratings on sales, the uptrend of digital revenue (and the flatness of broadcast), and the role of AI on content and sales marketing are all consistent topics of conversation. The common thread? Change. And we’ve never seen the radio business and the media world around it undergo such rapid disruption.
You can see the speed of change in other media categories, especially video streaming. It wasn’t that long ago that Blockbuster was the platform for enjoying video. The Netflix shift to streaming video, and later, creating its own video content sparked a spending spree that was epic. As new players like Disney, Paramount, Amazon, Apple, and others entered the space, production budgets skyrocketed.
After years of rampant spending, coupled with greater demand for new content as a result of COVID, Tiktok , a new player , along with YouTube, a legendary veteran, reminded us how video content could be democratized. Wonderful video content can be shot and edited on a smartphone, and distributed to a mass audience thanks to these massively popular video streaming (and sharing) platforms.
Now Netflix and its competitors are inching back to ad-supported movies and videos – right back where they started from – as their economic model of spending billions on content and hoping to recoup that investment with higher subscription fees is proving to be unsustainable.
And then there’s radio, a medium where most companies have now gotten the memo. Broadcast revenue sputters, while digital continues its ascent. Virtually every radio company of any size has retrenched and readjusted its model to embrace the digital opportunity.
But there’s another shift in radio broadcasting that may not be as apparent. And for the moment, it may not be responsible yet for an increase in dollars. But behind the scenes, it is shaking up the industry and beginning to encourage radio executives to look at their companies differently.
I feel like its more than bubbling under, becoming a trend that still is not widely recognized by radio companies and the stations they own.
Women are making a mark, becoming more important players in the future of this business than ever before.
You can see it in the executive ranks. Ginny Morris, Caroline Beasley, Mary Berner, Tanya Vea, Mary Quass, Erica Farber, Deborah Parenti, Julie Talbott, and other outstanding women are guiding major media organizations. A similar trend is underway in public radio as well. All of this change at the top is obvious to anyone paying attention.
I got to moderate an all-female executive panel at Podcast Movement’s 2018 conference, and it demonstrated how the radio industry is transforming at thee top.
What may not be so clear is just how women are asserting themselves and claiming more important roles at the station and cluster levels. And they are now showing up in force on the air. That became very evident to me at this year’s Morning Show Boot Camp – the 35th get-together for this event.
As I looked out at the audience as I started my session delivering the results of AQ5, the first and only survey of commercial radio talent, it occurred to me Boot Camp is the last programming conference standing in the U.S. There is no more NAB Radio Show (and even that conference was only partially oriented to programmers), Conclave is now “on pause,” while the future of Joel Denver’s AllAccess Audio Summit is cloudy. That leaves Boot Camp as the sole survivor.
A look at this year’s agenda shows some pretty innovative sessions and panels. Angela Parelli hosted “Managing Your Mental Well-Being,” a unique session for any radio conference.
The “Rising Stars” session shines the light on new and upcoming talent in radio. And Woody interviewed his boss of all bosses, Bob Pittman – not about EBITDA, but Bob’s years as a programming innovator.
But one of the realities about who actually entertains and informs on the air on American radio is how male-dominated it still is:
Undaunted, some of the best work these past few years at Boot Camp revolved around women on the airwaves, a topic that is need of attention. In the past, the “Women’s Forum” has brought together females who ply their craft behind the mic.
But this year, it was something even more innovative – a Saturday morning get-together, the “Women’s Brunch” hosted by Corey Dylan (pictured), featuring such notables as DeDe McGuire, Heather Cohen, Angela Perelli, and Riley Couture.
Corey gave me the backstory behind this initiative:
“With our industry competing for attention against countless sources of entertainment, it’s more important than ever to define your ‘brand’ – basically your reputation. Anyone can take charge of their own career but you have to make more effort than simply asking to ‘pick someone’s brain.’ You need to put your best foot forward with your resume, demo, headshots, websites, and involvement in your community and with your colleagues. That’s what MSBC is all about!”
And then the event came together:
“I posted a quote in a women’s radio group on Facebook that read, ‘People at the bottom compete, people at the top collaborate,’ and that resonated with me. Don Anthony and Marie LeMaitre asked me if I wanted to help launch a brunch to support women (and men) in radio and the informal ‘Radio Sisterhood’ that I’ve curated over the years.
“I wanted to put mentors and mentees in the same room and give them an opportunity to brand themselves with professional headshots plus advice about what hiring executives are looking for in talent and what they should have on their resumes and demos, in addition to how to inspire themselves and manifest successful careers. Sincere thanks to DeDe, Heather, Cohen, Angela, and Riley who all stepped up without hesitation to share their expertise!”
By all accounts, this first annual (suggesting this event will have a sequel in 2024) was a success. I checked in with Mike McVay who was in attendance and got the thumbs-up:
“It was inspiring to see powerful women in media supporting and encouraging other women in media. This was a positive gathering, but it underscores that there is still much work to be done.”
And not a moment too soon. Not only are there much fewer women working behind the mic, but many of them don’t feel they have the same opportunity as men to move up.
The AQ5 chart below illustrates the gender gap on our airwaves.
It suggests we still have a long way to go in creating an even playing field in the air studio.
And the rewards for the radio broadcasting are obvious. Subjectively, I can tell you my interaction with female air personalities – working with clients and going to Morning Show Boot Camp every year – is just how hard they work and how much they have to offer.
And there may be an even more significant trend underway. Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal (it is behind a paywall) ran a story by Sarah Krouse and Anne Steele with this prescient title:
“Women Own This Summer. The Economy Proves It.”
Between “Barbie,” Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift, women showed up in droves to their events, often in packs, decked out in themed outfits and accessories. But it’s more than economics – this participation is a show of solidarity and celebration, as Corey mentioned.
Lisa McKnight, chief brand officer at Mattel, the company that makes “Barbie,” summed it up this way:
“There’s this continued movement toward sisterhood and celebrating each other and being kind and inclusive and positive.”
But it’s more than just dollars and cents. Strong women attract attention – in a good way. At Boot Camp, a PD/morning guy pulled me aside to tell me that after adding a woman to the show in a role that wasn’t just gratuitous giggler, her diary mentions went through the roof.
I’m not surprised. Especially on stations where women have not been especially prominent – or even M.I.A. – a talented female personality can cut through the sameness and garner attention.
That’s my read. What about yours?
Meantime, kudos to Corey and her posse, Don Anthony and Marie LeMaitre for continuing to innovate and take risks at Morning Show Boot Camp. There’s a reason why it celebrated its 35th birthday last week in Dallas.
It is a conference like no other in radio broadcasting – a gathering of passionate, excited, and talented artisans of the airwaves.
I wish more of you could have been there.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Old Man, Take A Look At My Ratings - December 20, 2024
- In The World Of On-Demand Audio, How Do We Define Success? - December 19, 2024
- Scenes From The Classic Rock Highway – 2024 Edition - December 18, 2024
Great Women in Broadcasting are powerful!
When I finally was able to get into broadcasting (after being told for years that “nobody wants to hear girls on the radio,”), I noticed that the times were changing, but change was slow. I was advised by a consultant (who will remain nameless) that male listeners would only listen to female deejays who “sound sexy.” Male music directors were often promoted to PD, since “he got so much great experience as a music director.” Female music directors, myself among them, were seldom promoted, since “all she has ever been is a music director.” Women air personalities tended to be grudgingly accepted, even at stations where they were very popular. But few of us ever got equal pay or equal opportunity to get into management. And every year, at every broadcasting convention, there was usually one panel about women.
I attended many of these panels, and was even on a few. Usually, the implication was that we were interlopers at the otherwise all-male party, but hey, here’s a panel for you ladies. I agree, these panels were often fun (and cathartic), and I met a lot of interesting women. But I noticed that few men attended (except to moderate the panel), and the power-brokers & decision-makers were always at the other panels. The women’s panel served as a reminder that we were “women broadcasters,” rather than just “broadcasters.” That was in the 1970s-1980s, and I wonder how much has really changed.
Of course, since I’m a media historian, I know a LOT has improved for women since I got into broadcasting in the late 60s. (I even wrote a book about this topic.) And yes, I know it’s no longer unusual to hear women on the air; there are many female announcers, deejays, newscasters, even some female talk show hosts. A growing number of GMs are female, and even a few station owners. But are we fully accepted? Are we getting equal pay? Do we have equal access to the seats of power? Or are we still regarded as the exception to the rule that most owners, GMs, and decision-makers are still men?
We may “own the summer”– women have always been encouraged to be consumers and to buy more stuff– but are we the ones who decide the priorities? I’m not trying to be a curmudgeon, and I applaud you, Fred, for discussing this issue. But I just have a profound sense of déja vu (all over again) whenever I read about women’s panels or marketing campaigns aimed at women. And while things are so much better for us now, as opposed to when I was growing up, certain old perceptions about women as broadcasters (and as listeners) seem to persist. And I have to wonder if, once again, our industry is missing an opportunity to fully utilize the abilities and perspectives that women can provide.
You are right to be skeptical, Donna. There have been a lot of false starts and even more talk. The slide I included in the post that clearly shows the gender gap and it is real. I do think things are better, but they still have a long way to go. Appreciate the comment, Donna.
Thanks for this post, Fred. Don’t forget about the Content Conference! Maybe these gatherings dedicated to the craft and the audience are the last of our kind. Anyway, I wanted to just make a comment here, as a female leader with almost 4 decades of experience under my belt. When I was on the air in the 90’s, particularly in commercial radio, I experienced some of the worst treatment I’ve ever experienced in my professional life – from the women I worked with. At that time, there were clearly defined roles for women in radio and the highest ranking women in our cluster worked in HR and Finance. As a woman, you could work in traffic, promotions, sales, or be an admin to one of the male VP’s, you can forget a management role. The first female PD I worked with lasted a year. With few opportunities for women, they had a cut-throat attitude toward other women who showed up on the air. It was like high school all over again. But that was in the 90’s and I’d like to think those women have figured out that there’s strength and safety in numbers and that supporting other women makes things better for all of us. I’d like to think the culture has improved enough to be more welcoming to women than commercial radio was back then. One day, Fred, I hope we as an industry won’t have to single out the percentage of women working among our ranks as we do represent slightly more than 50% of the population of this country. Representation matters in many, many ways.
Abby, I took great care to separate the commercial radio world in the post for just that reason. The fact is, commercial broadcasters would kill to have an organization like PRPD.
Meantime, your recollections of your time in commercial radio sounds rugged. I would like to think today there’s greater congeniality and the willingness to help other women get along. I think a lot of men have come around to this as well.
Thanks for commenting.
Amen to Donna Halper’s comments.
I’ve been a transistor sister all my life. I wanted to do music radio in the 1960s. It NEVER occurred to me that I couldn’t do it. Then in the supposedly “open” 1970s, when I got my start in commercial radio, was I ever in for a rude awakening from the guys. I had no role models in Columbus, Ohio. You couldn’t stream another station to perhaps hear Alison Steele or Crash Corbin. Still, she persisted.
I taught myself by driving to cities close to Columbus and grabbing airchecks on a boom box. The Detroit market was actually open to women on the air and in radio programming in the 1970s. That was one of the many reasons I located here in 1987. I spent nights in a friend’s van in the sleeping bag grabbing cassettes. I even drove up in my ’66 Mustang to listen more to Detroit radio and seek out “Martha Jean, The Queen” and more. Musician friends also helped me too, using some of the techniques to vamp in and out of a tune, to edit myself down to 144 bars in a solo. I learned focus from great jazz musicians like Rusty Bryant and Hank Marr in Columbus.
Like Donna, I’d go to conferences and be included in the “Women In…” panel. All panelists would sit there and say why do we even have to discuss our “raison d’etre”. Can’t we just do our jobs and follow our passions without having to explain why we need to be here?
I am thankful for public broadcasting. A “women on the air” early adopter organization. WKSU in Kent, Ohio gave me a platform. WEMU in Ypsilanti, MI made me their music director. WRCJ in Detroit has welcomed me as a jazz host on Sunday nights. I have much to give as an-air host even in my 70s.
I join Donna in asking the question – can the industry understand the special communicative power of women on the air. It isn’t about being sexy, but it is about being human and real. Once you get over your delivery humps, then you find the essence of your heart to share with listeners. I had no mentors in 1977, but I’d be glad to be a mentor in 2023. Like Donna, I hope someone will listen and grant proper respect.
This is a great comment, Linda. I think it’s important that women in radio today understand that all this happened. And in a different form, some of it continues to hold women back today. As I commented to Donna and Abby, I believe progress has been made, some of it significant. But for those struggling to find their footing in radio right now, it can be discouraging. You comment that public broadcasting is a more accepting environment is an observation I hope people take note of. Appreciate you taking the time.
We – at least I am – are here to mentor the next generation of great women communicators. If one perseveres, serving listeners and creating community through radio is truly rewarding.