Why are mid-day radio hosts almost always female and afternoon jocks men?
Loading ...Radio for decades has been a male-dominated business. And in many ways, that has not changed.
Most of the program directors and general managers are men. Morning shows frequently pay the guy more than the gal. Even when they are on equal ground, the guy’s name usually comes first e.g. “Frank and Wanda,” “Steve & Vikki,” “Kevin & Taylor,” “Cadillac & Dallas.” An exception: “Cindy & Ray” on Star 94.
During middays on music station, program directors will usually play more music and tell the jocks to keep the jibber jabber to a minimum. Personality, in other words, is valued less. So pay is usually less, even if listener numbers are only down slightly compared to mornings and afternoons. Coincidentally or not, this is also the time slot (typically 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) where a station will place a female jock.
Then in the afternoons from 3 to 7 when a bit more talk is usually allowed? Most stations place a guy there.
That’s been the pattern for seemingly decades. And though Atlanta has had some major exceptions (Steve Craig at mid-days on 99X, for one), radio stations in all different formats tend to adhere to this same formula. It doesn’t matter if it’s Christian pop, R&B or rock, the patterns remain the same.
The numbers speak for themselves. 84% of mid-day jocks are women on the music stations in Atlanta. 95% of the afternoon jocks are men.
What’s even funnier is people I’ve spoken to in the business can’t really rationalize for me why this is except that it’s always how it’s been. Is this implicitly sexist? I don’t know. It just shows that deeply entrenched conventional wisdom in radio runs across formats.
Here’s the gender of the mid-day hosts on the FM stations (The River and Praise do not have jocks during mid days):
92.9 Dave FM, rock: Mara Davis (female)
Star 94, top 40: Heather Branch (female)
94.9/The Bull, country: Madison (female)
95.5/The Beat, hip-hop top 40: Kara/K-Dub (female)
Project 9-6-1, rock: Aly (female)
99X at 97.9, rock: Lewis (male)
B98.5, soft rock: Jordan Graye (female)
Q100, top 40: Brittany (female)
Rock 100.5, rock: Erin (female)
Kicks 101.5, country: Sari Rose (female)
Praise 102.5, gospel: Darlene McCoy (female)
V-103, R&B/hip-hop: Elle Duncan (female)
Kiss 104.1, R&B : Cynthia Young (female)
104.7/The Fish, Christian pop: Parks Stamper (female)
105.3/El Patron, Hispanic: El Sinverguenza (male)
Viva 105.7, Hispanic: Diane Fong (female)
True Oldies 106.7, oldies: Scott Shannon, syndicated (male)
Majic 107.5, R&B: Carol Blackmon (female)
Hot 107.9: R&B/hip-hop: Maria More (female)
That’s 16 out of 19 who are women.
Here’s the late afternoon jock gender breakdown (mostly 3 to 7 p.m. or along those lines):
Dave FM: Sully (male)
Star 94: Ryan Seacrest-syndicated (male)
94.9/The Bull: Lance Houston (male)
95.5/The Beat: Maverick (male)
Project 9-6-1: Chris Williams (male)
97.1/The River: Kate McCarthy (female)
B98.5: Kelly McCoy (male)
99X at 97.9: B.J. Kinard (male)
Q100: Johnny O (male)
Rock 100.5: Axel (male)
Kicks 101.5 : Bill Celler (male)
Praise 102.5: Rhodell Lewis (male)
V-103: Ryan Cameron (male)
Kiss 104.1: Art Terrell (male)
Fish 104.7: Dan Ratliffe (male)
El Patron 105.3: El Primo Migue (male)
Viva 105.7: Ricardo Cardova (male)
True Oldies 106.7: Scott Shannon-syndicated (male)
Majic 107.5: Michael Baisden (male)
Hot 107.9: Emperor Searcy (male)
20 out of 21 are guys.
Mark Kanov, former general manager at Star 94, who placed a male jock at mid-days for years (Tripp West), said he thinks PDs do place less importance on personality in mid-days while people are at work. Somehow, female voices, he fathoms, are considered “less intrusive.”
“Kind of friendly but not overly in your face,” Kanov said. “They want the music to lead the show.”
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28 comments Add your comment
Daniel
August 4th, 2009
6:21 pm
Why is J93.3 overlooked? I find that they’re as present as 104.7 in the Atlanta area.
Hercule Poirot
August 4th, 2009
6:36 pm
Why is Robert T. Nash of WGOW-FM in Chattanooga allowed to use racial slurs – on many occasions – on air and management not say anything about it? And why does the NAACP not say anything. He’s a white man who uses anti-black slurs and attributes negative behavior to race.
Steve
August 4th, 2009
7:02 pm
This has got to be the worst subject ever. I listen to a radio station for the music and not the DJ. The best DJ ever will not help a poor play selection. Why do you listen to a Chattanooga station if you do not like it? I think rap is the most moronic music next to opera so guess what – I DON’T LISTEN TO IT. Well, I just wasted 30 seconds of my life I will never get back.
Former WGST Devotee
August 4th, 2009
8:11 pm
Atlanta NEEDS Kim “THE KIMMER” Peterson back on WGST immediately !!!!!!!!!
We Love You, KIMMER !
Dano
August 4th, 2009
8:12 pm
I think Jordan Graye and Kate McCarthy should cancel each other out! You NEVER see them photographed together! LOL
Worthless
August 4th, 2009
8:13 pm
Another worthless article Rodney. What’s your point?
Why Chromosome
August 4th, 2009
8:53 pm
Why is it that the Radio biz is run by drooling, inbred, knuckle-dragging, toenail-chewing morons? Why ask why??
Stan Mann
August 4th, 2009
9:01 pm
The Answer . . . . . . . Even Less insightful.
The Question. . . . . . R.Ho is even less insightful than the late Prentiss Rogers.
pixie
August 4th, 2009
9:27 pm
Obviously this means we need more hermaphroditic radio personalities.
Might be just me
August 4th, 2009
11:07 pm
I’m puzzled why the “reporter” didn’t do a little more digging of his own before writing this piece. It raised questions that I — a mere amateur — would think to ask. For example, how does what’s going in the radio business mirror what’s going on in the general business world? Are women more likely to be in those mid-day time slots because they are juggling careers and family? A mid-day slot is after the kids have gone to school and before they are to be picked up. And what about including a broad cross-section interview results with male/female djs to look at where they’ve been positioned over the life of their career and what the mitigating factors were.
On a side note, in the example given of the show names ” “Frank and Wanda,” “Steve & Vikki,” “Kevin & Taylor,” “Cadillac & Dallas.” An exception: “Cindy & Ray” on Star 94. ” They names are in ABC order. I think that’s covered in the AP style guide used by folks in Journalism 101 classes
Might be just me
August 4th, 2009
11:08 pm
Oops – sorry for my typos and grammar slips above.
Why does SirriusXM...
August 5th, 2009
7:15 am
…even have DJ’s? We pay for the music, not the talk, so if they really are having money problems why not just cut out those “talkers” since no one wants to listen to them anyway! Inquiring minds want to know!
Caffeinated Katie
August 5th, 2009
9:41 am
I used to listen to 99x mid-day just to listen to Steve Craig, but now that he’s gone I don’t even listen to the radio any more.
People tend to find a female voice more soothing than a male voice (it’s partially why most GPS systems use a synthetic female voice). I’m sure a good majority of people listening to the radio during the mid-day are doing so while working and prefer a soothing voice over a more abrasive male voice, but the higher pitch of a female voice also makes it easier to hear in a noisy environment.
Robert T. Nash
August 5th, 2009
10:07 am
Wop…
Jig…
Sheeny…
Queer…
Satisfied?
Zone Fan
August 5th, 2009
10:49 am
Just me, don’t expect Mr. Housewife of Atlanta Rodney Ho to actually know anything about journalism or using the AP style guide. I am actually shocked that he wrote about something other than reality TV or the Real Tramps of Atlanta which he is of course the charter member of their fan club.
Delight
August 5th, 2009
12:47 pm
Ah, Zone Fan, that’s “The Real HOUSE Tramps of Atlanta”. Let’s be clear, these are the non-working tramps. ‘K? Don’t want to infringe upon the hard-working, horizontal mombo at the sound of loose change Tramps, that this city is full of.
Awww….Mr. Nash I swear I’m fixing to swoon. Bless your heart.
Jim
August 5th, 2009
1:23 pm
“What’s even funnier is people I’ve spoken to in the business can’t really rationalize for me why this is except that it’s always how it’s been.”
Nothing funny about hundreds of experienced DJ’s losing their job thanks to the dumbing down of radio. Its mostly run by part timers and pre recorded part timers taking the jobs that used to belong to talented announcers.
25-54 females market is the prefered advertisers buy. If those in charge had any sense, they would have a male on mid days to attract them.
The reason for bad radio and tired music is because the FCC ruined radio by allowing multiple stations to be owned by two or three monopoly companies like Clear Channel with some non radio nit wit sitting in Texas programming 300 stations to sound the same. Playing the same 200 songs over and over ad naseum with the DJ reduced to reading liner cards with no talent left to perform. Similar generic voices saying the same things about the same songs. No wonder people are finding other ways to listen to music. Radio has been reduced to nothing more than a jukebox, thanks to the suits in charge. Half the people in charge havent been on the radio a day in their life.
Stupid is as stupid does.
who cares
August 5th, 2009
1:50 pm
kudos to Mr. Nash not bowing down to the oppressive groups. where is Kadie Kiley nowadays! Kimmer and Greaseman! and what ever happened to chuck boozer and Craig Ashwood? when the two live Bakring dogs on Hamburger Shapiro’s dad’s station and the v103’s start apologizing for their racist remarks,then we can talk. Mr, Nash-tell it like it is! The truth shall set you free. No more blaming other people claiming oppression.
who cares
August 5th, 2009
1:59 pm
Cynthia Tucker erased ALL doubt that Atlanta and she are NOT friendly towards whites. Claiming in front of millions on a sunday show alluding to the fact that (allegedly) it is written in the first amendment that a BLACK man has the right to challenge and be obnoxious to a white Law enforcement officer! How RACIST can you be Ms. Tucker! Freedom of speech? No that is called Obstruction of Justice. Even the Black Chief of Police backed the White cop! And he got called an Uncle Tom! Maybe that is a black trait. Taught by a Black parent. Look at who is getting arrested nightly on TV-BLACK people. Who is doing the crime and who do you see getting shot/mugged/raped? Black people! Who was doing the robbing of the jeans stores? Black kids! and then you EXCUSE them for being oppressed. Oppressed from what learning in school? Is it oppressive to be told to go to school? This is America-not Africa. Would you prefer separate but equal? It appears that is where Obama is leading us. What is next-only a black officer can arrest a black person? Only a black judge can preside over a case involving a black person? No wonder Europe is laughing at us.
Cow
August 5th, 2009
2:28 pm
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
European See n Say
August 5th, 2009
4:24 pm
The cow says “shazooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo”
Delight
August 5th, 2009
4:41 pm
who cares, you watch television? *gasp* I would never have guessed, based on your comments, that you received your PhD from Idiot Box University. IBU, where distortion, falsehoods, and just palin (ala plain) buffoonery rule the day.
LanceLover
August 5th, 2009
9:02 pm
I’d re-think placing Lance in the “Male” category.
nudge
August 5th, 2009
9:41 pm
Srsly lancelover?
Kramer
August 6th, 2009
10:13 am
I’d rather poke myself in the eye than have to listen to some dumb broads opinion of current events on my drive home. Sorry Rodney, you’re desire to become equal to men isn’t going to happen. Now get back in that kitchen and bake me a pie.
Lisa T
August 7th, 2009
7:15 pm
The male/female DJ roles are part of the complete staleness of the radio format, that’s all – has nothing to do with the mommy track or the inflection of voices. I came into radio in the 70s when stations were adding a token woman to their line-ups because it was the hip thing to do and they thought it made them “cutting-edge.” Since that time radio has progressed no further than perhaps adding a female co-host to a designated show. (Rare exceptions aside, as when Kaedy Kiely did afternoons on 96Rock, and Mara Davis did mornings on Z93.) Perception by mostly male managers is that females are best in an auxiliary role…but then these are the same people that still mandate “show prep” so the DJs sound like they’re up to speed on current events; taped requests meant to sound live, lame contest formats, tired traffic reports, repackaging the same songs over and over….same old stuff we were doing 30 years ago. BORING!!! I agree with Jim that FCC deregulation has suppressed innovation and supported formulaic content and processes in the industry. Oh but wait…now sometimes there’s MUSIC for the personality to talk over between stopsets! Whoo hoo…BIG change!!! Not.
john
August 8th, 2009
9:10 pm
hi
what 106.1wngc out of athens, ga. shana does a great job 10-2pm, female
Rod
September 29th, 2009
8:04 pm
I’m looking for an old friend from when I worked at WGOW/WSKZ in Chattanooga TN. She was a DJ
by the name of Kathy Green. Her real name was Kate Richards. I was there between 1988-1990
She worked at several other radio stations also.
Does anyone know if she is working anywhere now or how to email her?
Thanks,
RoD