Country radio shrugs as artists battle with sexism
When a radio station staffer at 98 KCQ in Saginaw, Michigan, recently tweeted that it wasn't allowed to play songs by women back to back, KCQ tried to dismiss it as a joke.
It wasn't a joke. It was a symptom. Songs recorded by women constitute just 10% of all songs played on country radio stations, according to a report published last week. That has women in country music and all who care about fairness on the airwaves up in arms.
“Depending on the time of day a listener tunes in to their station, (10% is) barely enough to be heard. It's certainly not enough exposure to become known, to build a fan base, to climb charts, to gain enough recognition to have access to opportunities and resources within the industry,” wrote University of Ottawa professor Jada Watson, who partnered with cable network CMT on the report.
Kacey Musgraves had a pointed response to the KCQ tweet: “Smells like white male bullshit and why LONG ago I decided they cannot stop me.” Musgraves'
“Golden Hour” album won the 2019 Grammy for album of the year, with minimal airplay on traditional country radio.
In addition, female artists tend to get that airplay in off-hours when a station's audience is smaller, according to Watson.
A recent USC Annenberg journalism school study also found that the average age of top male performing artists was 42; the average for the top female artists was 29.
This isn't any surprise. Country radio has long been insular, with its own culture concerning age, diversity, gender and ideology.
Legendary producer Jack Clement signed African-american country artist (and now Hall of Famer) Charley Pride in 1965, but made a point not to disclose Pride's race before his music caught on at country radio. Even today, there's virtually no racial diversity on country music radio.
Scarce, too, are any voices that are even the slightest left of center. The Dixie Chicks' career crashed after a single sentence critical of President George W. Bush in the run-up to the war in Iraq. At the other end of the spectrum, Toby Keith's flag-waving, butt-kicking anthem “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” was enthusiastically embraced on country radio. Even Little Big Town's “Girl Crush,” named top country song at the 2015 Grammys, initially was turned away by some country music programmers because of the belief that it might have a gay
agenda. (It didn’t.)
What’s the big deal? After all, if a radio station managers think they know what the audience – largely women – wants, shouldn’t they have every right to present that content even if it limits the voices or viewpoints of women?
It’s important to remember why radio stations are clearly distinct from streaming services, satellite radio and cable television. All broadcast stations are regulated by the government. The reasoning: There are a limited number of frequencies and everyone can’t own a station, so it’s government’s role to ensure that broadcast stations operate in “the public interest.” How can country radio be acting in the public interest when it essentially writes off an entire gender?
When the Oscars were criticized for being “too white,” the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences embarked on a highly visible and ambitious effort to make its membership more diverse. As the film and television industries came under scrutiny for widespread sexual harassment, investigations and dismissals followed. In contrast, country radio just shrugs.
While many country music institutions appear to be rallying for women – this year’s Country Music Association
Awards was an example – country radio isn’t budging.
It was early in 2015 that a group of women in the recording industry in Nashville held the first meeting of “Change the Conversation,” dedicated to giving women an equal voice in country radio.
“Male artists have always dominated country radio 70/30, but over the last decade, the percentages for females have dropped dramatically,” Leslie Fram, a member of the group and senior vice president of music strategy for CMT, told me in an interview.
For her part, Fram has announced that CMT will play an equal number of male and female artists’ music videos.
“The best songs should always win, but women have not been on an equal playing field. Radio formats always thrive when there is balance and diversity and that includes sound and gender,” she said.
Country music radio has traditionally embraced the American flag and patriotic values, but it could use a refresher course. This nation was built on principles of equality and justice for all. That should include the airwaves.
Ken Paulson, a former editor-inchief of USA TODAY, is a professor of the Recording Industry Department and director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, and a member of USA TODAY’S Board of Contributors. Follow him on Twitter: @kenpaulson1