MIW Group Reveals Annual Gender Analysis Study for 2020

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, February 10, 2021 | 4:51pm CT

Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio

Each year the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) Group compile and analyze the number of women in radio broadcasting who are rising to the ranks of management. Data gathered for their annual MIW Gender Analysis Study specifically tracks the progress of female professionals holding General Manager, Sales Manager and Program Director posts. The figures and percentages represent the calendar year 2020 and are reflective of 11,158 AM and FM radio stations across America, as accounted for by PrecisionTrak.

General Managers: 19.9% (2161 stations) had women holding the General Manager position in 2020. This is an increase of almost a half of percentage point from 2019, which was 19.5%. Notably, this number continues to show consistent growth from 2004, when the percentage of female General Managers was only 14.9%.

In the top 100 markets, the number of women serving as General Managers continues to run slightly higher than the national average and, most important, shows growth year-over-year. In 2020, 21.9% (741 stations) in these larger markets were managed by women, which compares to 21.1% in 2019.

Sales Managers: Overall, the best management opportunities for women in radio continue to be in sales management. 33% (3,450 stations) had a woman Sales Manager in 2020, and that number is basically flat from 33.1% in 2019.

In the top 100 markets, although the numbers run slightly higher than the national average, the story is very similar. 34.4% (1,125 stations) had women serving as Sales Managers in 2020, which is a slight decrease from 34.8% in 2019.

Program Directors: Although there continues to be progress, the greatest challenge for women in radio management continues to be in the area of Program Director. Women currently program 12.2% (1,276 stations) versus 11.6% last year. This is the second year in a row this number has increased, as it has remained stalled for fourteen years.

In the top 100 markets, the news improves as female programmers represent 14.4% of the total number of Program Directors. This shows consistent growth from 13.3% in 2019.

MIW Group National Spokeswoman Ruth Presslaff commented, "In a year as challenging as 2020, any growth should be celebrated. However, our mission is advocating for the advancement of women to senior radio positions in radio. If not flat, the 2020 numbers reflect only slight increases. This fuels our passion for mentoring and inspiring women in the industry and drives our dedication to seeing these numbers rise in 2021 and beyond."