Radio listeners know that most DJs and presenters are men, but many of their producers - the ones who select guests, choose content and generally pull strings - are women.Róisín Ingle meets the backroom movers of Today FM
Today FM presenter Ann-Marie Kelly, the woman with the sleep depriving stint from 5am to 7am, is known by her listeners as "AM Kelly" or "The Earliest Bird". In fact the Co Laois woman is not just the "earliest bird" she is the only "bird" in a full-time presenting role at the station. Most of the senior producers, meanwhile, are women. For every Ray D'Arcy, Tony Fenton or Matt Cooper addressing the nation, there is a female producer holding things together behind the scenes. Chief executive Willie O'Reilly confesses that as a man, he finds discussing the issue makes him "uncomfortable", but says he has had many chats with his female staff about the subject. He believes that women listeners tend to be much more critical of female presenters than they are of men, which leaves them more open to scrutiny.
"It's also fact, backed up by research, that the higher timbre of most women's voices can be a turn off. It's no coincidence that some of the most successful female radio stars in Ireland, women such as RTÉ's Marian Finucane, have voices that are deeper than average. The voice of Morning Ireland's Aine Lawlor, for example, is like dripping honey, and Newstalk's Orla Barry's voice is deep, especially for a Cork woman."
The old chestnut that the higher pitch of the average woman's voice makes them less suitable for radio roles doesn't ring true though when you consider that many of the station's news reporters are women. "There's no prejudice in the newsroom," concedes O'Reilly. "But those female reporters are not knocking on my door asking to present their own shows."
O'Reilly suggests the answer to the question of why men rule the Irish airwaves is down to the fact that presenting jobs are more "ego driven". "There has to be a healthy amount of ego and ambition and perhaps women don't have as much of that. If you go out on the airwaves you are putting your ego out there. If you look at successful women in the entertainment industry - someone like Oprah - she just oozes confidence and ambition and leadership," he says, adding: "If you find the Irish version of Oprah, tell them to give me a call."
While O'Reilly says no Irish radio station can stand proud on this issue, there may yet be hope for those female producers who would like to take a turn on the other side of the microphone, where the salaries are significantly higher.
"Looking at the talent pool at Today FM, I feel women are on the tipping point and it's only a matter of time before a woman will come through that can capture the public's imagination," he says. In the meantime, the station's women will remain in their influential, if less "ego driven", back room roles. Meet the producers.