'Drastic changes' needed in local radio stations to achieve gender and racial parity

Denise Chaila performing at Ed Sheehan concert at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Of the 18% of Irish artists who featured in Ireland's top 100 most played artists in 2021, only three songs were by female artists. No Irish entries in the top 100 were by artists of colour. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

“Drastic changes” are needed in local radio, a new report has found, identifying "staggering and shocking" gender and racial disparity when it comes to the most-played artists on Irish stations.

Data collected by the WhyNotHer? campaign found that the stations most successful in achieving gender parity were Spin 103.8, Spin South West, MidWest Radio, RTÉ Radio 1, and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, which reached 50:50 gender parity on air last year.

Spin103.8

The authors of the report found that some larger radio stations have seen increased listenership after playing more female artists.

“Being inclusive and including women on-air is good for business,” the report stated.

"Spin 103.8 is now the number one music station in Dublin after overtaking FM104 on daily reach for the first time.” 

RTÉ Radio 1 featured more female Irish artists than male artists in its top 20 last year. RTÉ Lyric FM also made significant strides and played 45% male, 40% female and 15% a collaboration of both in its top 20. 

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta featured 80% female artists in its top 20. None of these stations had any artists of colour in their top 20 last year, however.

Figures for the top 20 Irish artists played on radio stations last year showed that Cork once again remains behind the rest of the country in gender parity on the air.

RedFM played 90% male, 10% female, and no people of colour in its top 20, which was the same rate found in the 2020 report. C103 played 95% male, 5% female, and one artist of colour in its top 20, again no change since 2020, while 96FM played 80% male, 20% female, and one artist of colour in its top 20, representing a 10% increase in the number of women played on air since 2020.

Kieran McGeary of Cork’s 96FM and C103.

When informed of the figures in the new report, Kieran McGeary, group station manager for Cork’s 96FM and C103, said: “We look at everything we do all the time and continually strive to improve if we can, but lots of factors come into play.

"The fact that 96FM and C103 have such a large audience on a weekly basis shows that our listeners are very happy with what they hear and we’re clearly doing something right.” 

Mr McGeary added that he could not make an in-depth comment without seeing the research.

Of the 18% of Irish artists who featured in Ireland's top 100 most played artists in 2021, only three songs were by female artists. No Irish entries in the top 100 were by artists of colour.

"If you are an Irish male artist, it is five times more likely that you'll make it to the top 100 than if you are an Irish female artist”, the report said.

Dermot Kennedy has been the highest impacting Irish artist on radios for the last five years running.