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Could Sound Women sustain radio's future? Could Sound Women sustain radio's future?
(4 months later)
What would help women hustle their way into radio? I asked Meera Syal at last week's Sony Radio Academy awards. "A wife!" she suggested, before highlighting the importance of women in the industry extending the hand of sisterhood.What would help women hustle their way into radio? I asked Meera Syal at last week's Sony Radio Academy awards. "A wife!" she suggested, before highlighting the importance of women in the industry extending the hand of sisterhood.
And so to Saturday's debut Sound Women Festival, where the theme was "inspiration" and the vibe was exactly that. Fleet Street's First Lady, Eve Pollard echoed Syal's justification for home support in her own inimitable way. "Never get good at ironing. I used to sit on the children's clothes," she partook before revealing how she woman-handled Rupert Murdoch and Robert Maxwell (flatter them, basically) and why we should all stop judging other women.And so to Saturday's debut Sound Women Festival, where the theme was "inspiration" and the vibe was exactly that. Fleet Street's First Lady, Eve Pollard echoed Syal's justification for home support in her own inimitable way. "Never get good at ironing. I used to sit on the children's clothes," she partook before revealing how she woman-handled Rupert Murdoch and Robert Maxwell (flatter them, basically) and why we should all stop judging other women.
We could ignore her ill-timed swipe at Gwyneth Paltrow then, and instead sat enraptured with her tales of infiltrating the notorious old boys' clubs of 80s Fleet Street. "I would leave the news room, go home, put my daughter Claudia [Winkleman] to bed, then head to the pub to keep up with the men. And if I couldn't keep up with the drinking? I decanted drinks into my handbag."We could ignore her ill-timed swipe at Gwyneth Paltrow then, and instead sat enraptured with her tales of infiltrating the notorious old boys' clubs of 80s Fleet Street. "I would leave the news room, go home, put my daughter Claudia [Winkleman] to bed, then head to the pub to keep up with the men. And if I couldn't keep up with the drinking? I decanted drinks into my handbag."
If that was the old boys' club, Sound Women is the new women's club, except more productive and inclusive – there are a number of sound men too. The initiative, spear-headed by exec producer Maria Williams, flanked by the likes of Fi Glover and Miranda Sawyer, was set up in 2011 after a dismal Sony awards for women, and some even more depressing stats. As Williams said: "More than half of radio's audience is female, but that is not represented by women in key roles on and off air."If that was the old boys' club, Sound Women is the new women's club, except more productive and inclusive – there are a number of sound men too. The initiative, spear-headed by exec producer Maria Williams, flanked by the likes of Fi Glover and Miranda Sawyer, was set up in 2011 after a dismal Sony awards for women, and some even more depressing stats. As Williams said: "More than half of radio's audience is female, but that is not represented by women in key roles on and off air."
The aim? To balance out the divide and stop women turning off radio altogether. A battle of wills can exist between old and new media – one coming in to kill off the older, wiser version. Not so here, where Absolute Radio's content director, Tony Moorey, spoke of a "collaborative culture" and stalwarts like Pollard, Glover (Radio 4), Anita Anand ( Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live) and Angie Greaves (Magic 105.4) shared the stage with the new gen.The aim? To balance out the divide and stop women turning off radio altogether. A battle of wills can exist between old and new media – one coming in to kill off the older, wiser version. Not so here, where Absolute Radio's content director, Tony Moorey, spoke of a "collaborative culture" and stalwarts like Pollard, Glover (Radio 4), Anita Anand ( Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live) and Angie Greaves (Magic 105.4) shared the stage with the new gen.
There was Dee Moore, who's just landed her first paid job at Endemol, after teaching herself HTML coding in her bedroom from the age of 11; and James Everton of The Hits Radio who social networked his way to almost 1 million online listeners in two weeks. If ever a divide existed between old school and the digital future, here the gap was closed.There was Dee Moore, who's just landed her first paid job at Endemol, after teaching herself HTML coding in her bedroom from the age of 11; and James Everton of The Hits Radio who social networked his way to almost 1 million online listeners in two weeks. If ever a divide existed between old school and the digital future, here the gap was closed.
It is this passing of the baton that's at the heart of Sound Women, which runs mentoring schemes for members. Like Natalie B, co-host of Heart Breakfast across the home counties, who was paired with former executive producer of the Chris Moyles Breakfast Show, Rachel Mallender.It is this passing of the baton that's at the heart of Sound Women, which runs mentoring schemes for members. Like Natalie B, co-host of Heart Breakfast across the home counties, who was paired with former executive producer of the Chris Moyles Breakfast Show, Rachel Mallender.
Natalie credits the scheme with helping women like her reach the next level. "I always maintain that I am not a 'sidekick', but a co-host and an equal. In commercial radio, the emphasis can be on how to improve the show, rather than on personal career development. My mentor provided a vital sounding board, networking opportunities and confidence building to shape my future in the industry."Natalie credits the scheme with helping women like her reach the next level. "I always maintain that I am not a 'sidekick', but a co-host and an equal. In commercial radio, the emphasis can be on how to improve the show, rather than on personal career development. My mentor provided a vital sounding board, networking opportunities and confidence building to shape my future in the industry."
Essentially, SW Fest was one big mentoring session. We heard from the utterly fearless and unstoppable Gerry Jackson of SW Radio Africa, sacked from her station and forced out of Zimbabwe by Robert Mugabe for her outspoken views against his government. Refusing to be silenced – and putting her life on the line – she set up a station in the UK to continue broadcasting a much-needed voice of reassurance to her country.Essentially, SW Fest was one big mentoring session. We heard from the utterly fearless and unstoppable Gerry Jackson of SW Radio Africa, sacked from her station and forced out of Zimbabwe by Robert Mugabe for her outspoken views against his government. Refusing to be silenced – and putting her life on the line – she set up a station in the UK to continue broadcasting a much-needed voice of reassurance to her country.
If that wasn't enough to inspire, along came the remarkable Dame Stephanie Shirley. A child evacuee from Nazi Germany, who arrived in the UK with nothing in 1939 but went on to set up a pioneering software company, which almost exclusively employed women. She changed her name to "Steve" in a bid to be taken more seriously in a world where one Tory peer had his hand on her backside throughout an entire business negotiation (she refuses to name names, like the lady she is, but needless to say he is no longer with us). "Steve" went on to amass a fortune of £67m, most of which she now gives away to philanthropic causes.If that wasn't enough to inspire, along came the remarkable Dame Stephanie Shirley. A child evacuee from Nazi Germany, who arrived in the UK with nothing in 1939 but went on to set up a pioneering software company, which almost exclusively employed women. She changed her name to "Steve" in a bid to be taken more seriously in a world where one Tory peer had his hand on her backside throughout an entire business negotiation (she refuses to name names, like the lady she is, but needless to say he is no longer with us). "Steve" went on to amass a fortune of £67m, most of which she now gives away to philanthropic causes.
Thankfully, the overt groping no longer exists – which may be why Sound Women felt comfortable enough to be hosted in the belly of BBC HQ – but sexual inequality in terms of pay and power still lurks beneath the surface like a niggling fly that needs swatting.Thankfully, the overt groping no longer exists – which may be why Sound Women felt comfortable enough to be hosted in the belly of BBC HQ – but sexual inequality in terms of pay and power still lurks beneath the surface like a niggling fly that needs swatting.
Talking of her time in the 50s, Dame Shirley said: "I couldn't open a bank account without my husband's permission, nor could I use the bathroom in most London universities because they didn't have ladies' toilets. But my generation of women fought those battles and its great to see young women carrying it forward."Talking of her time in the 50s, Dame Shirley said: "I couldn't open a bank account without my husband's permission, nor could I use the bathroom in most London universities because they didn't have ladies' toilets. But my generation of women fought those battles and its great to see young women carrying it forward."
Now it's over to Sound Women. There is much work to be done, but on behalf of the 150-strong crowd of media production students who bounced away clutching copies of Dame Shirley's book, here's wishing Sound Women a very short-lived career indeed.Now it's over to Sound Women. There is much work to be done, but on behalf of the 150-strong crowd of media production students who bounced away clutching copies of Dame Shirley's book, here's wishing Sound Women a very short-lived career indeed.
NB: no bras were burned or balls broken in the making of this event.NB: no bras were burned or balls broken in the making of this event.
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