Radio Ownership Glass Ceiling Is Blocking Diverse On-Air Voices

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/6088

Radio Ownership Glass Ceiling Is Blocking Diverse On-Air Voices - 06/06/07

Intro: Women and minorities are being blocked out of the radio dialogue due to a lack of diversity in radio ownership.

By Jesse Russell

A new study from Free Press shows that media consolidation has had a detrimental impact on fresh and diverse voices on the air. The study found that the average radio market has 16 white male owned radio stations and that nearly 85 percent of station managers and program directors reflect the ownership. Gloria Steinem said that has a direct impact on the type of discussions being held on the radio:

: Media consolidation is a part of that problem. It’s created an almost unbreakable glass ceiling at the top and the dearth of women and and people of color at the time is mirrored by sexist and racist content.

Brent Wilkes is executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. He said access for real working class people is limited:

: The real people out there in the communities don’t have access to the airwaves and the vocal minority is getting that acces s because the station owners are giving that to them.

[Solo_in_MD]

1. Glass Ceiling is clearly the wrong term

and until AAR gets it act together, its going to be hard for any liberal oriented station to get enough cash to get started