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| Singers Amy Grant, Jennifer Nettles, Martina McBride and Miranda Lambert at the 2014 MusiCares Person Of The Year awards Jan. 24, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo: Christopher Polk, Getty Images) |
One of my many radio gigs for Hall
Communications is at longtime country outlet 97.7 WCTY, a leading station in
eastern Connecticut that is consulted by Keith Hill. Keith became the center of some controversy
last week when he seemed to recommend playing a higher percentage of male
artists than female ones. Country
artists Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride were quick to jump on the backlash
bandwagon and take offense with Hill's assessment of successful country formats
by saying females are "just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is
Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes
of our salad are the females."
Cries of radio sexism ensued. Could this have been expressed in a way that
resulted in fewer repercussions?
Absolutely, but he does have a valid point based on audience information.
Ironically, females have become a
much more essential component of country's target audience. This is more than ever about what female
listeners want to hear. Country used to
be a very male-oriented radio format.
That has changed dramatically, with today’s country attracting younger
and female fans now more than ever. What
you hear now is the key to getting ratings and revenue. AT
WCTY and many other stations, this is due in no small part to research provided
by people like Keith Hill. As a male over 55 who has slid off the radar
of most ad agencies, I actually enjoy female country artists more than I do
most of their male counterparts. Then again, as I’ve
argued countless times as a voice in the wilderness, this is not about what you
or I think “sounds good.” It’s about
what works. Don’t take my word for it. Ask your target audience.
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