Behind the Scenes of Women's Broadcast Ownership

Abstract

Women in the United States own fewer than 6% of radio and television stations. This qualitative study had the dual goals of gaining a better understanding of (a) how women owners of radio and television companies enter the U.S. broadcast market, stay in the market, and contribute to their communities; and (b) how communication policy, economics, and sexual politics exclude women from ownership. Surveys and interviews with 40 participants (owners and experts) found more women inheriting stations than able to buy them. In addition, those who manage their own stations hold strong values of community service even in the face of great economic challenges. Experts said that women broadcast owners operate in a hostile regulatory environment and in an industry that blocks women from gaining experience and access to capital to prepare and successfully compete for ownership. Recommendations are offered for removing these barriers.

KEYTERMS:

• broadcast ownership
• gender and media
• women and broadcasting
• women and media ownership

The author appreciates funding for the study from the Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University (with monies derived from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation), as well as the research assistance of her Howard colleague Yanick Rice Lamb and students Joshua Scott, Kerry-Ann Hamilton, Jessica Nwokocha and Ashley Southall. She also thanks the 40 individuals who participated in surveys and interviews for the study.

Notes

The terms concentration of ownership and conglomeration will be used interchangeably.

The FCC is a five-member regulatory body whose commissioners are appointed by the president of the United States. Three members of the commission, including the chairman, represent the party in power at any given time. President George W. Bush, a Republican, appointed commissioners who favored a marketplace-approach to regulation. For a fuller examination of the politics of media policy, see Robert W. McChesney's “The Problem of the Media” (2004).

The FCC ownership data base for 2006 (the most recent posted) was used for this research.

I left messages on answering machines at most of the remainder but never received returned phone calls. There was no answer at a few of the stations.

The FCC's distress sale policy gave minority groups preferential treatment in purchasing stations whose owners were in danger of losing their licenses. A federal court decided the policy was unconstitutional in 1989.