Little Progress For Women Noted In MIW Gender Analysis

The latest Gender Analysis Study from Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) shows the percentage of females in leadership positions at local radio stations was flat in 2022, compared to 2021.

Data gathered for their annual MIW Gender Analysis Study specifically tracks the progress of female professionals holding General Manager, Sales Manager and Program Director & Brand Manager positions.

The MIW Gender Analysis Study has been consistently released analyzing the raw data for all commercial radio stations in the United States since the organization's start in 2000. The figures and percentages shown below represent the calendar year 2022 and are reflective of 11,215 AM and FM radio stations across America, as accounted for by PrecisionTrak as of December 31, 2022.

General Managers: 20.65% (2316 stations) had women holding the General Manager position in 2022. This is basically flat from last year but has shown consistent growth from 2004, when the percentage of female General Managers was only 14.9%. In the Top 100 markets, 22.42% (1212 stations) were managed by women, which is actually down almost a full share point from 2021 but still continues to run higher than the national average.

Sales Managers: Overall, the best management opportunities for women in radio continues to be in sales management. 33.45% (3751 stations) had a female Sales Manager in 2022, that number is basically flat from 33.59% in 2021. In the Top 100 markets, although the numbers run slightly higher than the national average, the story is better. 38.05% (1,138 stations) had women serving as Sales Managers in 2022, which is about 4 percentage points higher from 34.99% in 2021.

Program Directors/Brand Managers: The greatest challenge for women in radio management continues to be in the area of Program Directors/Brand Managers. Women currently program 11.72% (1314 stations) versus 12.09% in 2021. In the Top 100 markets, the news was not much better as female programmers now represent only 13.93% of the total number of Program Directors/Brand Managers, basically consistent with the numbers from 2022.

MIW Board President Ruth Presslaff said, "Historically we have celebrated modest to very modest gains. But this year we're calling out to industry leaders to recognize the leadership, creativity and dedication of women broadcasters, particularly programmers, and put them to work improving your content, your culture and your cash flow."

While overall, these past year's figures are flat within the radio industry, it's worth noting that a study conducted in late 2022 by The WICT Network, Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment and Technology, women working in the media, entertainment and tech industries have increased over the past few years from 33% in 2019 to 38% in 2022. It is the hope that the radio industry will better begin to mirror the continued growth of women in the general media space and provide an encouraging future for women in radio.