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.
Popular Podcasts
Boysober
Have you ever wondered what life might be like if you stopped worrying about being wanted, and focused on understanding what you actually want? That was the question Hope Woodard asked herself after a string of situationships inspired her to take a break from sex and dating. She went "boysober," a personal concept that sparked a global movement among women looking to prioritize themselves over men. Now, Hope is looking to expand the ways we explore our relationship to relationships. Taking a bold, unfiltered look into modern love, romance, and self-discovery, Boysober will dive into messy stories about dating, sex, love, friendship, and breaking generational patterns—all with humor, vulnerability, and a fresh perspective.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com