JudithCramer
Women in Radio: Is It Back to the
Future?
Judith Cramer, Division of Communications,
Journalism, and Media Studies
Abstract
Radio is a very powerful medium, touching us all in one way or
another. But significant events over the last several years have
made for marked changes in the radio industry. Continued
deregulation, technological advances, and the FCC’s elimination of
the Equal Employment Opportunity rules have virtually retained the
face of the radio industry’s youth, one that is overwhelmingly
white and male. Women have made comparatively little progress
-- there are just as few women working in radio news today as there
were some 40 years ago. Yet, the number of U.S. radio stations has
increased more than ten-fold. It is true that larger numbers of
women have moved into radio management positions but hiring and
promoting more women into those positions does not guarantee that
the radio industry will be more welcoming to women. The women
and men who move into radio management must share a philosophy that
recognizes the importance of change, and of including “others” in
their companies, stations, and audiences. More importantly, they
must make a real commitment to develop and implement their own
hiring policies and retention practices that foster diversity and
thus, enrich their employee ranks, programming and audience.