New report reveals shocking gender disparity in Irish radio

A new report published today, June 24, has highlighted the alarming gender imbalance on Irish radio.

Using data compiled by Linda Coogan Byrne from June 1 2019 to June 1 2020,  the report presents the Top 20 most played songs by Irish artists on individual radio stations in Ireland. In almost every instance, the list is dominated by male artists – with some stations revealed to have zero female artists in their Top 20, and many popular stations having only one or two female acts.

Soulé features on nine radio stations within the Top 20. However, the report finds that female artists' impact figures pale in comparison to their male counterparts – with Soulé and Aimee clocking up 67.94m and 45.37m impacts on radio respectively, compared to Dermot Kennedy's 303.36m, Niall Horan's 246.38m, Gavin James' 189.53m, Picture This' 287.75m, and Wild Youth's 161.28m.

The report is based on artists whose songs are registered on Radiomonitor – which is described as "the industry standard music airplay monitoring service used by all Record labels, Management companies and PR companies to evaluate the airtime allocated to artists/bands who have commercial releases in the Irish market and whose music is issued to Irish radio seeking radio airplay."

"The findings on the Gender Disparity that exists across Irish Radio are a staggering and shocking display of an industry model that needs drastic changes," the report reads. "This is not an opinion-based report. It is based on data. Facts. We ask what can be done to implement changes across Irish Radio that creates an equal opportunity playing ground for both male and female Irish acts?"

In a statement published in the report, IMRO chairman Eleanor McEvoy described the findings as "thoroughly depressing reading."

"The situation seems to be getting worse not better," she continued. "I grew up hearing very few female artists on the radio and it seems incomprehensible to me that we are still in that place today. The unconscious bias towards male musicians, songwriters and performers is staggering. Looking at these figures I'm frustrated at the talent that we're losing, the song that will be missed and the voices that we're never going to hear."

Read the full report here.