It would be a very backward manager at this point who would think that he’s gambling by putting a woman on the air.”
–Ingrid Schumacher
With over 40 years in radio, Ingrid Schumacher recalls the industry during the 70s as a “male-driven occupation.” She’s unsure if she faced any gender discrimination during the beginning of her career, as it was not overt. She does reveal that were very few women on the air, those of which would report “colour” such as traffic and entertainment segments, and that radio stations would not play two female artists back to back. When asked to analyze the current radio landscape for on air women, Ingrid indicates that it’s mostly women on air at her station, and there are a lot of female managers. She says opportunities for women today are as great as they are for men, but points out that radio CEOs across North America are “by and large white men.”
