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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