NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More than 80% of country radio listeners want equal play for female artists, according to a study commissioned by CMT.
According to CMT’s Equal Play Radio Research, 84% of listeners want equal play for female artists and 7 out of 10 want more female artists in the genre. CMT and Coleman Insights released its findings on Tuesday, saying the data disproves “long-perpetuated myths claiming both female and male listeners don’t want to hear female voices.”
The data showed that listeners would even seek out country radio more if women were specifically highlighted, with 28% saying they would listen to radio more if more female artists were featured, compared to the 11% who would listen less.
“The age-old myth that ‘women don’t want to hear women’ has led to a multitude of unproven public claims about female voices on the air, including ‘you can’t play two women back-to-back’ or ‘ratings drop when you play women’” said Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President, Music & Talent, CMT.
The poll also found that a majority of fans are open to hearing female voices, with 53% reporting no gender preference when it comes to artists.
Earlier this year, CMT pledged to immediately begin giving women equal play on its channels.
