At the end of 2000, Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio conducted its first study of female leadership across US commercial radio. A quarter century later, there are gains in General Manager and programming roles, but persistent underrepresentation remains.
MIW’s 25th Annual Gender Analysis Study, based on raw PrecisionTrak data, reflects 11,215 AM and FM stations as of December 31, 2025.
The latest edition found women held 22.07% of General Manager roles in 2025, representing 2,366 stations. That marks a slight increase from 21.67% in 2024 and a notable improvement from 14.9% in 2004. In the Top 100 markets, female General Managers accounted for 24.09% of stations, nearly a five-point increase over 2024 and above the national average.
Sales leadership continues to represent the strongest area of management opportunity for women. In 2025, 35.31% of stations, or 3,561 outlets, had a woman serving as Sales Manager. That figure was essentially flat compared to 35.67% in 2024. In the Top 100 markets, women held 37.61% of Sales Manager roles, though that represents a decline from 42.94% the previous year.
Programming remains the most challenging leadership category. Women served as Program Directors or Brand Managers at 13.02% of stations nationally in 2025, up slightly from 12.38% in 2024. In the Top 100 markets, female programmers accounted for 15.25% of positions, a significant increase from 11.23% in 2024 and above the national average.
The MIW study gets more granular than the FCC’s latest biennial ownership data, which showed only modest movement in female broadcast ownership between 2021 and 2023.
In commercial AM radio, female attributable ownership remained flat at 62% over the two-year period. However, when measuring majority control, women-led ownership inched up from 10% to 11%. Commercial FM radio reflected a similar pattern. Female attributable ownership rose slightly from 69% to 70%. Majority ownership among women increased from 9% to 10%.
In noncommercial AM radio, female attributable ownership declined slightly from 80% to 79%. On the majority side, women-led stations rose from 15% to 17%. Noncommercial FM showed the most positive movement for women. Female attributable ownership held steady at 83%, while majority ownership increased from 14% to 16%.
MIW Board President Sheila Kirby said, “Twenty-five years of data give us clarity. We are encouraged to see movement in General Manager and Programming roles, particularly within the Top 100 markets. At the same time, flat growth in sales leadership and the continued underrepresentation of women in programming nationally remind us that progress is not automatic. Sustainable advancement requires intention. MIW remains committed to mentoring, advocating, and creating pathways for women to lead at every level of the industry.”
