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MIW Study: Glass Ceiling Still Firmly In Place
May 1, 2006 at 6:42 AM (PT)
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According to the latest Gender Analysis Summary released by the MENTORING AND INSPIRING WOMEN IN RADIO GROUP (MIWs), fewer than one in five GM's are women in radio groups that own 12 or more stations, and 29% of these groups have no female GMs at all.
According to the study, women manage only 17% of the 4877 stations owned by groups holding 12 or more stations. They fare slightly better in these groups than in the industry as a whole, where they manage only 15.2% of more than 10,000 stations. Of the 123 groups that owned 12 or more stations in late 2005, the average group had 40 stations and 11 GMs, only 2 of whom were women.
Thirty-six groups (29% of all groups with 12 or more stations), which collectively own 612 stations, listed NO women GMs in late 2005. However, CLEAR CHANNEL has shown significant progress over the last four years, as the company's percentage of female GMs has risen to 24%, up from 17% in 2002. Among the five other groups that own more than 100 stations, ENTERCOM and CITADEL exceed the average with 28% and 22% female GMs, respectively. INFINITY and CUMULUS are below average with 14% and 13%, while SALEM has only 6% female GMs.
The eight groups owning 50 to 99 stations have the highest consistent average percent of women GMs—24%, the same as 2004. UNIVISION ranks at the top with 33%, ABC follows with 28% and RADIO ONE, NEXTMEDIA and ENTRAVISION are well above average with 26%, 25% and 25% respectively. Eighteen groups owning 30 to 49 stations average 16% GMs, with one group—NEW NORTHWEST—listing no women GMs, compared to three groups last year.
“Clearly, some broadcasters embrace the positive results of diversity and some don’t,” commented JOAN E. GERBERDING, Director of Radio Operations for ACCESS. 1 COMMUNICATIONS and newly-appointed Spokesperson for the MIWs. “Those who do, reflect the composition of the workforce and the communities in which they’re licensed. Those who don’t, risk hurting radio as an industry by ignoring a vital talent base. To truly understand our listeners and advertisers, we have to appreciate the dynamics that define, inspire and challenge them. We can’t do that if we continue to exclude vast segments of the population from station leadership positions.”
The latest MIW Gender Analysis summaries for sales managers and program directors will be released within the next 30 days. For the complete station by station Gender Analysis summary, contact information for each MIW, success tips, articles and mentoring tips, or to join the MIW Network, go to www.RadioMIW.com.

