Mentoring & Inspiring Women (MIW) In Radio's 2011 Mildred Carter Mentoring Program

Officially launched in 2002, this outstanding program matches up-and-coming women in the radio industry with female professionals who are leaders in all aspects of radio.

A total of three candidates from the radio broadcasting industry will be selected for the 2011 program. Candidates from sales, programming, marketing and other related fields in radio broadcasting are encouraged to apply.

The current job level of the applicants should be no less than director or manager level, but can encompass all areas and departments of radio station operations or related fields.

Interested applicants must:

· have been in the radio industry for five years or more;
· agree to actively participate in the mentoring process;
· agree to total confidentiality during the mentoring program.

All candidates are required to submit a letter which addresses the question: “Why would I be a good mentee?” Please send it to Heidi Raphael no later than Friday, November 5th, 2010.

The three chosen mentees will be announced and begin the program in January 2011.

The program is named in the memory of Mildred Carter, who, along with her husband, Andrew "Skip" Carter, founded the first African American owned radio station in the U.S. in 1950, when they turned on KPRS Kansas City, Missouri. Mrs. Carter ran the Carter Broadcast Group for many years after the death of Skip Carter, before turning over control of the company to her grandson, Michael Carter in 1987.

The Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio group consists of top-level radio women across the country who are dedicated to using their influence and resources to help women in radio develop strong management and leadership skills. The MIWs are equally committed to advocating the advancement of women to senior positions in broadcasting.

Rogers' KIX Chicks: Women Of The Week

"Being part of the first all female morning show in North America is a cool title to hold. "

The Women's Post is a magazine designed for professional women. They are now reaching more mid to high income professional women per issue in Toronto than the Globe and Mail, The National Post or Toronto Life and this week's feature is a motivational, revealing interview with Linda & Jenn. (click to read it)

Women Programmers To Get Recognition

The "MIW" Group just announced the nomination process is open for the first annual MIW Achievement in Programming Award.

The winner will be recognized during the Group PD Super Session on Thursday, September 24th from 10:30-11:45am at the 2009 NAB Fall Radio Show in Philadelphia, PA.

The MIW Achievement in Programming Award is designed to encourage the advancement of women in programming and to reward and recognize those who have achieved success in the field.

Criteria for Nomination:
1. Women who are at the Program Director level or higher (for example, Regional Program Director, Vice President of Programming) will be considered.
2. Candidates must be currently active in the field, and primarily responsible for programming a radio station, group, or individual or group of programs.
3. Candidates should have at least five years' experience in programming.
4. Candidates or those nominating candidates for the award must complete and submit the entry form available at www.radiomiw.com.

Anyone who would like to submit a recommendation of a potential candidate is encouraged to do so. All entries must be submitted to www.radiomiw.com by ­Friday, August 7th, 2009.

All submissions meeting the qualifying criteria will be reviewed and the winner will be determined by the Executive Committee of the MIW Radio Group. The decision of the judges will be final.

Special thanks to MIWs Corinne Baldassano, Denise Oliver and Ruth Presslaff for all of their hard work in making the award possible and also to MIW Susan Platt and the NAB for allowing the group to unveil the award at the 2009 NAB Fall Radio Show.

Tumultuous Times

Radio Ink's Deborah Parenti included A&O in her fastinating, timely dialog in the 2/9 edition on these difficult times (click to read the pdf)

USA Today: Blondes take root in country music

Writer Brian Mansfield: "Time was, you couldn't be a country singer if you didn't have a cowboy hat. These days, though, the most reliable route to a Nashville record deal seems to be through a reality show. It also helps if you're a cute blonde."

I didn't conspire with WUSN's Marcy Braun, Music Row's David Ross or KKGO's Tonya Campos before talking to Mansfield last week (click to read the item), but I'd bet we all feel the same way:

"One label finds something that works, and every label now wants two of them."

The music biz, as with so much of our culture, tends to clone success, but being 'first in' in any category is a lot easier than being the second or - as with this week - tenth (!) one.

PS - Fascinating side note: not one female makes Billboard's list of top ten country recurrents this week.

For Women, Radio Is Pretty Much A 10-15% Business

When Edie Hilliard talks, I listen. After all, she's not only a personal friend and mentor of mine, she is one of the first women to break into radio management in the mid-70’s, having spent the first part of her career on the station side, in marketing, sales, sales management and general management at Seattle radio stations. Since the late 80’s she has been one of the consistently most influental women in radio, a mover and shaker in radio syndication.

Please click here and read her latest annual update on the status of women in radio. She concludes after supporting this with impressive (or is that depressive?) stats:

"Women are not well-represented at any level in the radio business, in ownership, in the executive suite, in management, in programming, or on the air. The vast majority of players in the industry—those who own or occupy the executive suite, those who decide the formats, hire the staff and talent, plan and produce the programming, and those behind the mics--are men."

Food For Thought

"...the lack of women (in management) inevitably tilts and shapes one of the country's most popular and influential media....(making) it into a fortress for the male perspective, too often with all the testosterone that
implies..."