Based on the recent research conducted by the activist group Why Not Her?, only a mere 2% of the top 100 tunes blasted by Irish radio stations from June 1st, 2023 to June 1st, 2024, were delivered by female Irish musicians. Moreover, among these Irish women singers, only one is still living. Jazzy and Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries were confirmed as the sole two women cracking into the top 100.
The annual data report offers an exhaustive study of the racial and gender diversity within the 20 most beloved songs performed by indigenous Irish artists over Irish airwaves within the same timeframe. The report evidences glaring inequalities in gender and racial diversity.
The research indicates that radio stations in Ireland are more inclined to air tunes by deceased female artists like O’Riordan and Sinéad O’Connor, along with contemporary international female pop singers, compared to present-day living Irish female musicians.
During the specified period, RTÉ Pulse boasted the most varied playlist, featuring 11 tracks by artists of colour. Jazzy emerged as the beloved Irish female singer with the greatest number of songs within the top 20, featuring repeatedly across various stations.
In contrast, the 2019-2020 duration saw only a solitary artist of colour, Soulé, making it to the top 20 heavy rotation airplay charts. Fast forward to 2024 and a notable advance was seen, with certain stations tipping towards a 25% representation. However, the report noted that there are still significant hurdles for artists of colour, despite minor advancements in representation. Only a handful of stations are making concerted efforts towards more diverse playlists.
Indicative of pioneering change, half of RTÉ Radio 1’s top 20 playlists were by women, closely followed by RTÉ 2XM with 45%. For five successive years, RTÉ’s Radio 1 has consistently maintained at least 50% female representation in its yearly playlists – the only radio station in the country to have achieved this feat.
From the period of 2016 to 2021, FM104, a radio station in Dublin, exclusively featured white male artists in its top 20. However, the diversity improved after June 2021, where at least 20% of the top 20 songs were by Irish female artists between June 2023 and 2024, with an additional 15% being collaborative projects involving women.
The report illuminates a disparity in the Irish radio sphere, as artists affiliated with major record labels, primarily Universal Music, experience a greater play rate compared to their independent counterparts who find gaining airplay a difficult task. In the top 100, a sparse three artists are independent.
A song by an Irish artist called “DNA (Loving You)” by Billie Gillies featuring Hannah Boleyn marks the most frequently played on Irish radio in 2024 so far, alongside Dermot Kennedy, Moncrieff, Jazzy, and Cian Ducrot who have also been prominently featured.
The report highlights that collaboration, especially mixed-gender ones, are often more prevalent, as they usually garner more plays and impressions, indicating a preference for popular and widely marketed collaborations.
Founder of Why Not Her?, Linda Coogan Byrne, emphasised that despite women artists and artists of colour showcasing ample talent and success, they’re unfairly underrepresented in radio plays. She further stated that independent Irish artists generally face formidable obstacles to gain airplay. Underscoring the role of record labels, she encouraged them to show equal faith in women artists as they do in men.
Coogan Byrne emphasised that labels hold significant sway in deciding who is heard, making it critical for them to onboard and promote a more heterogeneous mix of artists. She further underscored the paradox at play – these artists struggle to gain the essential airtime for success.