Why does gender bias still dominate radio airplay? And how did one data report force the industry to face its inequalities?

In this episode of the Drowned in Sound Podcast, Sean Adams talks to Linda Coogan Byrne, activist and music consultant behind the Why Not Her? campaign.

Her reports have exposed gender and racial disparities in radio airplay, driving real industry change.

This conversation reveals how data is power or as Linda puts it, “the data validates lived experiences.”

00:00 – Introduction: How One Report Changed Music
01:45 – Meet Linda Coogan Byrne & Her Data Reports
04:30 – The Shocking Gender Disparity in Radio
07:00 – Industry Reactions: Denial, Excuses & Pushback
11:00 – Thin Lizzy, Protest Billboards & Music Activism
15:30 – Has the Industry Improved or Is It Lip Service?
21:00 – Can Music Ever Be Equal?
30:00 – Why Not Everyone Can Be an Activist
38:00 – What Needs to Change for Lasting Equality?
45:00 – How Data Holds Power to Account
50:00 – Final Thoughts & Actionable Takeaways

Links

Why Not Her? Reports → https://whynother.eu/data-reports
Gender Bias in UK Radio – The Guardian → https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/aug/21/female-british-artists-underrepresented-on-uk-radio-survey-finds
Book More Women (Festival Representation) → https://www.instagram.com/bookmorewomen/
Activist Recommendations:

Mona Eltahawy → https://www.instagram.com/monaeltahawy
Emma Dabiri - Don’t Touch My Hair → https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14603/9780141986289
Mary Beard - Women & Power → https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14603/9781788160612
Ijeoma Oluo - Mediocre → https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14603/9781529353839
Check My Ads (Ad Funding & Misinformation) → https://checkmyads.org/

🗣 Discuss this episode over on the Drowned in Sound Community → https://community.drownedinsound.com/
📩 Email Sean → sean@drownedinsound.org
🔵 Follow on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/drownedinsound.bsky.social
📩 Get the DiS Newsletter → https://drownedinsound.org

ABOUT THE GUEST

Linda Coogan Byrne is a music industry consultant, publicist, and activist known for her gender & racial disparity data reports. She is the CEO of Good Seed PR and founder of Why Not Her?, a campaign pushing for cultural change in music. Her work has influenced radio airplay, festival bookings, and policy decisions. She has been named among the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Ireland, inducted into the Music Week Hall of Honour, and recognized by IMPALA as a Top 20 Woman in Music Activism.

ABOUT THE HOST

Sean Adams is the founder of Drowned in Sound, a pioneering music webzine launched in 2000. Beyond editorial work, he manages artists like Charlotte Church and The Anchoress, operates the DiS independent record label, and contributes to strategic music industry and political advocacy projects. His passion lies in championing diverse music scenes and supporting artists worldwide.

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