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Post by Bingo on Feb 26, 2020 16:29:09 GMT -8
Although I can't verify this personally, I've been told that a radio host has just been fired for playing a solid hour of female artists. He says that the station has a "no play" list, including Miranda's "Gunpowder and Lead", and Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman", and (surprise, surprise) "anything by the Dixie Chicks"
On the same day, I saw a tweet from Twang Nation saying "It's as if Lilith Fair never happened"
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Post by oregonchickfan on Feb 26, 2020 17:11:55 GMT -8
I don't see anything on Google, however, and unfortunately, I wouldn't be surprised if this was true.
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Post by DCXMMXVI on Feb 27, 2020 21:11:46 GMT -8
A solid hour of female country? Damn that sounds fantastic! All the country radio I've heard lately plays a few newer female songs regularly, but there's definitely a noticable absence. But of course that's how it's been for over a decade now. However this incident proves that there may be an effort to suppress women of country and that stinks!
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Post by Bingo on Feb 28, 2020 11:04:17 GMT -8
Corporate radio conglomeration seems to have played a big part in stereotyping the playlists. One theory, especially in relation to the lack of female air time, involves the relative decline of Southern Rock stations, and the conglomerates' efforts to divert that audience onto their Country stations. Unfortunately, there also seems to be some mismatch between women's answers to general surveys (where they say they want to hear more women), and their call-out reactions to particular songs (where the stations say they tend to get more negative feedback on female artists.) There's a widespread belief that many stations do discourage programmers from playing two female records in the same airtime segment. The result tends to be that it is now rare for two female artists to be in the top ten of the airplay chart at the same time.
Inevitably, this also affects awards. For example, the ACMs not only have just one female (Carrie) in their Entertainer of the Year nominees, but they also had only one on their last 15 voting shortlist. (Josh Abbott protested publicly about that, but he is the only male artist that I saw do so). The ridiculous shut out of female instrumentalists, lasting for decades, has only just been broken, by fiddler Jenee Fleenor, at both the CMA and ACM (whereas the IBMA has been able to find female winners for many years)
The positive side is that women are fighting hard for a more level playing field. Marissa Moss, Tracy Gershon, Emily Yahr and others are among the journalists and industry figures who frequently publicize the issue. A young performer, Kalie Shorr, played a big part in forming and sustaining the Song Suffragettes (whose slogan is "Let the Girls Play") - an all female rotating combine of individual singers and songwriters, who hold weekly concerts in Nashville. Leading artists, like Carrie and Miranda, have both spoken out and headlined all female tours. (Miranda's ACM nomination for Musical Event of the Year involves the six women who took part in her last tour - managing to span between them several musical styles within the Country spectrum).
One thing that is increasingly evident is that, even with only patchy radio support, tours, sales and streaming can still be successful for female artists - a trend that reflects public support more widely, and one which is likely to grow as more traditional media go into relative decline.
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