Moderated by Entercom’s Kelly Ford, Host of the ‘Kelly Ford in the Morning’ Show
The Alliance for
Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) released the latest installment of the AWM
Gracie Interview Series – A Virtual Gathering with American Medical
Association President Susan R. Bailey, M.D. Titled “Medicine and The Media
– Leadership in Historic Times,” the session was moderated by Entercom’s Kelly
Ford, host of Kelly Ford in
the Morning on
New York’s
Country 94.7. The Gracie Interview Series – A Virtual Gathering series was
created to engage leaders in media to share wisdom and guidance during a time
of immense change and unpredictability.
In response to a question about what medical experts have learned since February, Dr. Bailey shared, “It’s not flip flopping – this is how science is supposed to work. When we get new data, we draw new conclusions and may need to change recommendations.” Regarding how media can be of service to the medical community, Dr. Bailey added, “Ultimately, we are all in this together. By sharing information, we can kick this virus.”
The full recording of the session can be experienced here:
“Dr. Bailey shared meaningful
insight into the important partnership between media and the medical community.
This is a critical time for media to understand its role and for all of us to
know our roles as individuals,” Becky Brooks, Executive Director of the
Alliance for Women in Media Foundation stated. “We look forward to hosting more
virtual gatherings to share the wisdom of experienced leaders.”
The Gracie Interview Series – Virtual Gatherings are a segment of The Gracie Awards brand. The Gracies are the largest fundraising event by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM), which supports educational programs, charitable activities and scholarships. To engaged with AWM, please consider joining the association or donating to the Foundation so we can continue to offer important programs like this interview series.
June 30, 2020 – The
Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) announces the 45th
Annual Gracie Awards will be streamed virtually on September 10, 2020. The Gracies Gala, originally scheduled for
May 19, 2020, was intended to be held at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, A
Four Seasons Hotel, and the Gracies Luncheon, originally scheduled for June 24,
2020, was intended to be held in New York City at Cipriani 42nd Street. The
2020 honorees will now be celebrated through a series of digital acceptance speech
montages along with a virtual awards ceremony.
“The leadership of AWMF, which
annually presents the Gracies as our largest fundraiser, has had one singular
focus – to appropriately acknowledge and celebrate our outstanding winners in
whatever manner is feasible this year,” said Becky Brooks, Executive Director
of AWM/F. “Therefore, we have made the
decision to shift this year’s events to virtual experiences to ensure
recognition of all winners in this very important year.”
The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary programming created by, for and about women in radio, television, and interactive media. Honorees are selected in national, local and student markets, including both commercial and non-commercial outlets. The full list of this year’s honorees can be found here.
AWMF extends a tremendous thank
you to sponsors of the Gracies Awards, who are committed to supporting the
future of women in media. Along with Ziploc®
Brand, the Diamond Sponsor of the 2020 Gracie Awards, this year’s sponsors
include Crown
Media, CBS, CNN, Katz Media Group, NCTA – The Internet and Television
Association, Beasley Media Group and Cox Media Group.
About the Alliance for Women
in Media Foundation: In 1960, the
Alliance for Women in Media became the first professional broadcasting
organization to establish an educational foundation. The Alliance for Women in
Media Foundation (formerly known as The Foundation of American Women in Radio
& Television) supports and promotes educational programs, charitable
activities, public service campaigns and scholarships to benefit the public,
the electronic media and allied fields. The Foundation also produces nationally
acclaimed recognition programs, including the Gracie Awards®, a gala that
honors exemplary programming created by, for or about women. The Alliance for
Women in Media Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, educational organization.
For the latest news on the Gracies, follow The Gracies on Twitter and Facebook.
For more information about the Gracie Awards and to submit your entries, please
visit www.allwomeninmedia.org/gracies.
By: Keisha Sutton-James, Chair, Alliance for Women in Media
The recent brutal murders of George
Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, combined with a global health pandemic
that has had a disproportionate effect on communities of color, have laid bare
the injustices and inequalities that continues to exist in America to this
day. Media outlets have offered around
the clock coverage of this tragic moment in our country’s history, and of the
massive protests that have gripped our nation.
On behalf of our leadership across
the United States and Canada, the Alliance for Women in Media supports the
human rights of all Americans, including Black Americans. Black lives do matter. As a Black woman whose grandfather, Percy
Sutton, was a Freedom Rider, politician and activist before moving into media
in order to effect change through the use of media, I have always been keenly
aware of this fact. And now, this moment – a health crisis and the senseless murders
of innocent people – has served to remind us as a nation of this fact.
We, the media, are the storytellers –
whether through scripted or journalistic work.
We tell the stories of our humanity – trauma and triumph, denial and
victory, betrayal and reconciliation. We,
the Alliance for Women in Media, stand with the protestors who are peacefully
marching our country toward its founding ideals. We stand with the storytellers,
journalists, producers and directors and particularly the women in these roles,
who are sharing the truth of this moment for the world to see. We applaud the bravery and tenacity displayed,
some at the risk of their own safety.
The AWM will continue to recognize
and celebrate the women who are frontline journalists and storytellers, women behind
the cameras and microphones, and the true protagonists in our nation’s story:
those who are leading our nation to its higher self. We thank you for all that you do.
Keisha Sutton-James
Founder, Sutton Button Productions, LLC
Chair, Alliance for Women in Media
Please
allow us to highlight a few of the important, ongoing conversations on this
topic through pieces that reflect the work and voices of some of our Gracies
honorees in radio, television and digital media.
Angela Yee
and the Breakfast Club Conversation with Rush Limbaugh
45th ANNUAL GRACIE AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN MEDIA FOUNDATION
This week, The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) announced the winners of the 45th annual Gracie Awards. The list of honorees includes such esteemed honorees as Michelle Williams, Amy Poehler, Natasha Lyonne, Tamron Hall, Naomi Watts, Angela Yee, Norah O’Donnell, Niecy Nash, Stephanie Beatriz, and Soledad O’Brien, along with more than 100 of the most talented women in television, radio and digital media.
The Gracies
recognize exemplary programming created by, for and about women in radio,
television, and interactive media. Honorees are selected in national, local and
student markets, including both commercial and non-commercial outlets. This
year’s honorees represent the substance and ethos of women’s storytelling and
journalism at its best. Their work during
this global state of affairs – full of innovation, courage and endurance –
serves as inspiration today for the journalists of tomorrow.
Some of the honorees have recorded special messages of thanks and appreciation:
Becky Brooks, Executive Director, The Alliance for Women in
Media Foundation stated, “Our leadership is proud to honor the best of the best
who embody the spirit and intention of the Alliance for Women in Media
Foundation’s Gracie Awards. We want to thank
those on the front lines telling the important stories still impacting our
world. It is our distinguished honor to recognize the reporters, hosts,
producers and media executives who are working to ensure the public is
informed. We know everyone in media has been impacted in some way, and we
continue to salute this outstanding list of honorees for their award-winning
passion, energy and perseverance.”
AWMF
extends a tremendous thank you to sponsors of the Gracies, who are committed to
supporting the future of women in media.
Along with Ziploc® Brand, the Diamond Sponsor of the 2020 Gracies Gala,
this year’s sponsors include Crown Media, CBS, CNN, Katz Media Group, NCTA –
The Internet and Television Association, Beasley Media Group and Cox Media
Group.
TV
NATIONAL HONOREES
60 Minutes: The Chibok Girls (60 Minutes)
CBS News
News Magazine
Abby McEnany (Work in Progress)
SHOWTIME
Actress in a Breakthrough Role
Alex Duda (The Kelly Clarkson Show)
NBCUniversal
Showrunner – Talk Show
Am I Next? Trans and Targeted
ABC NEWS Nightline
Hard News Feature
Angela Kang (The Walking Dead)
AMC
Showrunner- Scripted
Better Things
FX Networks
Comedy
BookTube
YouTube Originals
Non-Fiction Entertainment
Caroline Waterlow (Qualified)
ESPN Films
Producer- Documentary /Unscripted / Non-Fiction
Catherine Reitman (Workin’ Moms)
Wolf + Rabbit Entertainment (CBC/Netflix)
Actress in a Leading Role – Comedy or Musical
Catherine Reitman (Workin’ Moms)
Wolf + Rabbit Entertainment (CBC/Netflix)
Director – Comedy
Clarissa Ward (CNN International)
CNN International
Reporter/Correspondent
Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead)
AMC
Actress in a Leading Role – Drama
Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve)
BBC AMERICA
Actress in a Supporting Role – Drama
Francesca Gregorini (Killing Eve)
BBC AMERICA
Director – Scripted
Gender Discrimination in the FBI
NBC News Investigative Unit
Interview Feature
Grey’s Anatomy
ABC Studios
Drama- Grand Award
Izzie Pick Ibarra (THE MASKED SINGER)
FOX Broadcasting Company
Showrunner – Unscripted
Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon)
FX Networks
Actress in a Leading Role – Made for TV Movie or
Limited Series
Mission Unstoppable
Produced by Litton Entertainment
Family Series
MSNBC 2019 Democratic Debate (Atlanta)
MSNBC
Special or Variety – Breakthrough
Naomi Watts (The Loudest Voice)
SHOWTIME
Actress in a Supporting Role – Made for TV Movie or
Limited Series
Host – Morning Drive – Small Market [Radio – Local]
Rebekah Maroun (Bex) (Matty In The Morning)
iheartmedia
Producer – Commercial [Radio – Local]
Shannon Farren (Gary and Shannon Show)
iHeartMedia
Crisis Coverage/Breaking News [Radio – Local]
Shannon Farren (Gary and Shannon Show)
iHeartMedia
Talk Show [Radio – Local]
Starving for Perfection
WTOP-FM
Hard News Feature [Radio – Local]
RADIO
LOCAL STUDENT HONOREES
Brittany McGowan (Women Surfers Fundraise In Honor Of
Feamle Surfing Icon)
Radio Hofstra University – WRHU FM / WRHU.org
Host/Personality
Eli Finkelson (A League of Our Own – Single Moms Share
& Inspire)
Radio Hofstra University – WRHU FM / WRHU.org
Talk Show
Julia Presti (A League of Our Own – Fearless Female
Firefighters)
Radio Hofstra University – WRHU FM / WRHU.org
Public Affairs
Karina Gonzalez (KUNR Public Radio & Noticiero
Móvil)
University of Nevada, Reno
Interview Feature
Madison Bristowe (Cityscape:Back to the Garden,
Remembering Woodstock)
WFUV / Fordham University
Producer
Marian Mohamed (The barrier between us is breaking:
How politics brought my mom and me closer)
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio
News Feature
INTERACTIVE
MEDIA STUDENT HONOREES
Eliot Schiaparelli (Around My Block)
WFUV / Fordham University
Original Online Programming
Kacie Candela (Prickly Politics: Women in the Room)
WFUV / Fordham University
Podcast
Celebration details for this year’s winners will be announced soon.
About The Gracie Awards
The Gracies Awards is the largest fundraiser of the Alliance for
Women in Media Foundation (formerly known as The Foundation of American Women
in Radio & Television) which supports and promotes educational programs,
and scholarships to benefit the media, the public and allied fields. In
addition to giving $20,000 a year away in scholarships to deserving female
students, the Foundation also produces the nationally acclaimed recognition
program – the Gracie Awards which honors exemplary programming created by, for
and about women. The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation has created partnerships
and joint initiatives with the Emma Bowen Foundation, the National Association
of Broadcasters (NAB), NCTA – The Cable and Telecommunications Association and
other organizations that are philosophically aligned with the mission of the
Foundation. For more information about The Alliance for Women in Media
Foundation and the Gracie Awards please visit allwomeninmedia.org and follow on
Twitter (@AllWomeninMedia), (#TheGracies), Instagram (@allwomeninmedia) and
Facebook.
The Coronavirus has changed how we are living our lives at this moment in time. Social distancing, quarantining, sheltering … are all words that have become a way for us to describe our lives. Some of us are wearing masks and gloves when we must go out in public. Some never go out in public, while others continue to question if the restrictions on our lives isn’t too much.
How audiences
are using media, and when they’re using it, has also changed. Morning and Afternoon
commute times are non-existent. Even those who work from home are awaking later
and they wrap-up work in time for dinner. Few people have in-home radios and
much listening is being done on smart speakers, streaming on-line via laptops,
apps or phones, and some listeners will time-shift their radio listening by using
the on-demand listening that a radio show on podcast allows.
Many of us
are working from home. Video conferencing is becoming a way of life for work
and family connectivity. A large number of our fellow citizens are unemployed
or on furlough. They’re suffering, dealing with anxiety, fear and the stress of
not knowing what the future holds for them or for all of us.
Alcoholism,
Drug Addiction, Spousal Abuse and Domestic Violence are all magnified in times
of stress and panic. Suicide levels are predicted to increase. Recognize our first
responders in the health sector as well as fire, police and military.
Acknowledge them by name. Salute and honor them. Thank them.
There is the
possibility that some of us, as members of media, have been exaggerating its
seriousness while others have not been taking it seriously enough. We need to
be factual in the information we deliver. We need to pay attention to the
doctors and scientists and not politicians. Politicizing this pandemic has no
purpose in serving your community.
We, as
members of media, have to be sensitive to the concern of the audience. Our responsibility
is to serve the community and provide them with information that can be useful
to them. Stations are airing regular updates. Some are breaking away for news
reports, which was not previously a part of their scheduled programming.
One of my
concerns is that the contradictory opinions of commentators, especially those on
TV and on Network Radio, is destroying what little credibility was left for
electronic media news operations. Mainly because some of them present
themselves to be news reporters or news journalists. The content of a news
report, should be factual and focused on what is important to the target
audience. The content of a commentator or talk host should be labeled as
commentary. There is absolutely nothing
improper about a commentator taking a stance and presenting a position that may
include political views and editorial commentary. Don’t present it as news. It
is commentary.
Real people have died and are dying. Real people are becoming sick, or will become sick, and some of those who are yet to be inflicted will die. Someone recently commented to me “fewer have died than what was predicted.” That doesn’t mean that we didn’t need to take steps to protect our citizenry. It means that the steps we have taken, and are still taking, are working.
I remember when I was a small child, just about 10, my father and I would watch the nightly news on TV. In those days, the Vietnam War was in full swing and the evening news would include a daily death toll of Americans who lost their lives. One evening the number was single digits. I said aloud “that’s not very many.” My father replied “unless its your son that died.” That’s how I feel when I hear someone note that the death toll for Coronavirus, while high, is less than what was predicted to happen by this time.
This story
is meant to underscore that you should be sensitive to the loss of familial lives
that many are enduring. It’s time for a kinder, gentler world. It should be
reflected in what you say and how you deliver content on-air.
Be factual.
Don’t politicize. Don’t exaggerate or dismiss the information that is being
delivered to us from recognized credible medical experts who are at the center
of the research that’s being done to find a vaccine and a cure for COVD-19.
Those shows
that play games and air bits that make light of someone’s lack of intelligence,
should be reconsidered, much like the sometimes-collegial humor that makes fun
of an on-air partner. Don’t be mean. Avoid sounding mean spirited. Your
credibility, as an air talent, will be magnified by being understanding of the
less fortunate. Don’t make every story of hardship about you. Acknowledge how
blessed you are to be working. Realize that many aren’t as lucky as you are.
There are four faces of Coverage of the Coronavirus. Awareness, Acceptance, Encouragement and Memory.
Awareness was when we first heard of the virus. It ramped up significantly before we were able to grasp and understand that this was unlike anything that we had faced in our lives.
Acceptance is when we acknowledged that the pandemic was real, that we would all know individuals who would be infected with this virus, and that some would die.
Encouragement is what we have to do for our audiences. Encourage them that we will get through this pandemic. Share with them things that they can do while sheltering. Look for positive, but factual, news to report to the audience. The peak having been reached in some communities. A decline in deaths. Talk of sports activities being rescheduled. It gives us all an “end point” to look forward to.
Memory is what we hope is ahead of us. Remembering what it was like when we were in lockdown. What good came from it, besides health, and what lessons can we learn from it?
There are some artists and production houses working on creating a musical tribute to the heroes of the pandemic and others working on an event to raise funds for the memory of this event. Don’t be gratuitous and, if you’re an artist, don’t be opportunistic by taking advantage of this crisis to personally benefit.
We need to plan for what happens when we’re allowed to come back to the “outside world.” Party Centers, normally only open during weekends, will be booked for events seven days a week. There will be “make-ups” for lots of events that had been postponed. Wedding Receptions, Baby Showers, Graduations, Birthday Parties, Celebrations of Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah, Baptisms, Funerals or Celebrations of Life.
Provide guidance on where your listeners can find information on filing for unemployment. Where can individuals go to find out their options to refinance their homes or delay payments. What can be done to assist small businesses to stay in business during this time? How will the government’s COVID-19 recovery plans help everyone from individuals to big business? Surviving is what’s most important to all of us, at this moment, and will be important to our recovery.
Benztown and
Emmis have worked together to create a short series of updates named Corona411.
Westwood One is developing information for stations to use. Some stations will
create their own info pieces. These are not promotional messages. They shouldn’t
sound like a promo or a sweeper. These are elements of information that carry
weight. They should sound special and unique.
We should be
messaging that this is not a time to make jokes about the outbreak. It isn’t a
time to present tongue-in-cheek contests that are about this health crisis. It’s
also not a time to panic our listeners by being anything more than factual. It is
a time to share positive news, too. Give the audience a reason to smile.
It may be months
and months before there is a vaccination that will prevent this virus from
infecting our listeners. We’re all hoping that we’ll see life start to get back
to normal, soon. However, we’ve not yet seen the crest of the wave of this illness
in a total fashion for the United States. We have to help the world live a
normal life.
Many
air-talents are broadcasting remotely. Encourage them to mention that fact
on-air. How is working from home impacting their lives? How are they occupying
their days and the days of their family members? The purpose of such talk is
not to make it about them, but to create the feeling of community. “We’re all in
this together. We’re going to get through this.”
Update your
imaging. Eliminate the “Listen at Work” liners. Come up with imaging that
reinforces listening “Listen while you work, no matter where and when you work,
whether at home or on-site.”
Look for WOW
moments to unite your audience. It could be playing the National Anthem daily
at 12:00pm to salute the men and women who are fighting on the frontline of the
Coronavirus. It could be creating a consistent moment to underscore that we’re
all in this together. Like playing Queen’s song “We Will Rock You” at 6:00pm
nightly … as some radio stations are doing. Honor your hometown heroes while
giving the rest of us hope.
Don’t talk
about what you’re doing on-air as if it is work. It isn’t “work” compared to
what the majority of your audience considers to be work. Embrace your audience
and relate to them by acknowledging how tough these times are for them.
———————————————————————————————————–
Mike McVay is President of McVay Media Consulting. A media firm that
focuses on content creation, coaching on-air personalities, marketing strategy,
audience development and growth, and advises all platforms for audio companies.
www.mcvaymedia.com
The Alliance
for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) has made the decision to postpone the 45th
Annual Gracie Awards Gala, scheduled for May 19th, due to recommendations from
public health officials surrounding the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The safety of our honorees, staff and partners involved in the annual gala
remains top priority. The Gracies Gala will now take place on September 22,
2020 at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, A Four Seasons Hotel.
“We are
grateful to the women and men who are keeping the public connected and informed
to stay healthy and safe during the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic,” said
Becky Brooks, Executive Director of AWM. “In this unprecedented time, we must
come together as a community in media and as human beings. We are looking
forward to the day when we can once again convene to honor the brave reporters,
creators and the extraordinary programming in all mediums of news and
entertainment.”
The Gracie
Awards Gala honors outstanding individual achievement and programming by, for
and about women in national television, radio and interactive media. AWMF will contact this year’s entrants within
the next few weeks, followed by a public announcement of the winners.
AWMF extends
a tremendous thank you to sponsors of the Gracies Gala who are committed to
supporting the future of women in media.
Along with Ziploc® Brand, the Diamond Sponsor of the 2020 Gracies Gala,
this year’s sponsors include: Crown Media Family Networks; ViacomCBS; CNN; Katz
Media Group; NCTA – The Internet & Television Association; and, Beasley
Media Group and Cox Media Group, sponsors of the Gracies Luncheon.
The Alliance for Women in Media and its Foundation (AWM/F) are pleased to announce their 2020 National Board of Directors. New to the AWM Board are: Katina Arnold, vice president, corporate communications, ESPN; Abby Auerbach, executive vice president, chief communications officer, TVB; Michelle Ray, executive director, The Walter Kaitz Foundation; Sandra Rice, senior vice president, outreach and strategic partnerships, Center for Talent Innovation; and, Esther Mireya Tejeda, senior vice president, head of corporate communications & PR, Entercom.
Officers of the board have been announced as Keisha Sutton-James, Chair, vice president & CEO, Sutton Button
Productions LLC, serving as chair,
Heather Cohen, executive vice president, The Weiss Agency, serving as
incoming chair and Christine Travaglini, president, Katz Radio Group, serving
as immediate past chair. Josie Thomas, CBS, serving as treasurer,
while Annie Howell, co-founder and managing partner, The Punch
Point Group, serving as incoming treasurer.
The following
individuals will serve as Directors at Large of AWM: Joyce Fitch, legal
consultant, Abby Greensfelder, founder
& CEO, Everywoman Studios; Brenda
Hetrick, chief revenue officer, Matrix Solutions; Jinny Laderer, co-founder & CEO, vCreative; Meg LaVigne, president, LaVIGNE MEDIA;
Kelly Perdomo, vice president, content,
sports, entertainment, and partnership marketing, SiriusXM; and, Katherine Wolfgang, head of public
relations, CBC.
“The role of the
AWM and Foundation boards is to lead our organizations and industry as we
recognize, connect and educate women in radio, television and interactive media. We have a true working Board,” stated Becky
Brooks, AWM executive director. “This
year’s new directors have voiced their dedication to donating time and
resources to take these organizations to the next level. We are thrilled to have these talented, accomplished
women joining our leadership for the next two years.”
The following individuals will serve as Directors at Large of AWMF: Deborah Parenti, publisher, RadioInk, RBR and TVBR; Rob Stoddard, SVP industry & association affairs, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association; and Kristen Welch, chief financial officer, Illustrative Mathematics.
About the Alliance for Women in
Media (AWM): The Alliance for Women in Media
connects, recognizes and inspires women across the media industry. AWM is a
diverse community – whether type of media, job or global location – that
facilitates industry-wide collaboration, education, and innovation. Established
in 1951 as American Women in Radio & Television (AWRT), AWM is the
longest-established professional association dedicated to advancing women in
media and entertainment. AWM harnesses the promise, passion and power of women
in all forms of media to empower career development, engage in thought
leadership, and drive positive change for our industry and societal progress.
About the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation: In 1960, the Alliance for Women in Media became the first
professional broadcasting organization to establish an educational foundation.
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (formerly known as The Foundation of
American Women in Radio & Television) supports and promotes educational
programs, charitable activities, public service campaigns and scholarships to
benefit the public, the electronic media and allied fields. The Foundation also produces nationally
acclaimed recognition programs, including the Gracie Awards®, honoring
exemplary programming created by, for or about women and individual
achievement. The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation is a 501 (c)(3)
non-profit, educational organization. For the latest news on the Gracies,
follow The Gracies on Twitter and Facebook. For more
information about the Gracie Awards and to submit your entries, please visit www.allwomeninmedia.org/gracies.
Read Gerberding’s Remarkable Speech from the AWM RegionalConference Held in Austin on January 17
I’ve been invited here today to talk about the privilege of membership in the Alliance for Women in Media. I’m not sure if it’s because I was national president from 2000 to 2003 when we were known as American Women in Radio and Television and we enjoyed record membership numbers, or if I’m just old enough to have lots of experience in telling stories about the good old days. Maybe it’s both! Either way, let me get started.
I’m going to give you a little
history about the organization, tell you some stories about my personal
experiences, and, hopefully, inspire you to drive membership in this important organization.
AWRT was formed
in 1951 as a response to the National Association of Broadcasters’ decision to
dissolve its women’s division.
After the dissolution, and fearful that the concerns of women within the
industry would not be given a voice, several female members of the NAB decided
to form their own organization. They
inspired over 280 women to come together to create AWRT and determine its
mission: “to provide a
broadcasting organization for professional women in the radio and television
industries.” Now 280 may not sound like
a lot, but remember, this was in 1951…and there weren’t many women in the work
force, especially in media.
Edythe Meserand was one
of the founders
and served as its first national president. She began her broadcasting career at NBC
Radio in 1926, but she had her greatest influence at New York City’s WOR-Radio,
which she joined in 1935. There she achieved a number of “firsts” in
broadcasting history: she is
acknowledged as the first person, male or female, to found an actual radio
newsroom, she produced the first true radio documentary; and she organized
WOR’s enduring Children’s Christmas Fund Drive.
AWRT continued to grow through the years, adding
several hundred women from across the country to its roster. But still, it was looked upon as “that
women’s group” by most of the industry.
Well, of course, there were only a handful of women executives, there
were no women sales managers, no female account reps, very few female on-air
personnel, and certainly no women holding the positions of engineer, or program
director. In fact, the majority of women
at this time were secretaries and receptionists.
There were a few exceptions. The
first woman to have her own radio show was Kate Smith. You may know
her as the woman in the 1930s and 40s who sang “God Bless America” over the airwaves. From 1937 to 1945 she hosted the “Kate
Smith Hour.” She went on to host her number one daytime news and talk show
until 1958.
Then there was Pegeen Fitzgerald. She was another one of
the first women on-air in radio, also at WOR.
Fitzgerald began her own show broadcasting from her apartment in 1937 and
became known as “First Lady of Radio Chatter”. On her talk show she
covered numerous topics, and in the 1940s her husband joined her on-air. The show was re-branded as “The Ed and Pegeen
Fitzgerald Show”….notice who has top billing! They became one of the most highly paid double
acts in radio, earning about $160,000 a year. In the 1940s. That would be about $2.9 million
a year in today’s dollars!
There were
others: Arlene Francis, Mary Margaret
McBride, Bertha Brainard, and of course, Gracie Allen. And then, came TV. Although it was invented in 1927, television
didn’t really become popular until after World War II.
When
sitcoms were launched in the early 1950s, female “sidekicks” playing wives or
secretaries or school teachers starred along with the men…and they were some of
the funniest women to ever fill a TV
screen: Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance, Gale
Storm, Audrey Meadows, Eve Arden, Ann Southern and Gracie Allen.
But for the
most part, women were barely seen, much less heard in broadcast media. There were no women in the wings directing
shows, writing scripts, selling advertising, managing stations or, God forbid, owning
radio or TV stations.
AWRT set
out to change all that.
In 1960 it became the first
professional broadcasting organization to establish an educational foundation
to give scholarships to up and coming radio and TV women. The Foundation held seminars, leadership
conferences, educational forums and did everything in its power to advance
women in the media business.
In 1975 it began an annual
awards program recognizing broadcast professionals in radio and TV who represented
the changing roles, issues, and concerns of women. In 1997 those awards became
known as The Gracies, named after the media pioneer who embodied the character
of the awards, Gracie Allen.
By the end of the 1990s, AWRT
had several thousand members all over the country. We had chapters in most
states, and we had become a well-known and well-respected organization.
In 2001, the first year into my
national presidency, we celebrated our 50th anniversary at a
star-studded luncheon at New York City’s Tavern on the Green. I’ll never forget that day. For so many reasons.
But first let me tell you a
quick story. All of us were working
diligently on getting a book ready to be released for the 50th
anniversary. It was called “Making
Waves, the 50 Greatest Women in Radio and Television” and it was due to be
published in time for this luncheon honoring many of the women highlighted in
the book.
We had asked all the living
legends who were featured in the book to write their own personal essays. Our Executive Director was overseeing the
project, and one day about a week before the deadline to get this book to the
typesetters, she called me: “we have 49
of the essays in house and ready to go to the typesetters. We’re just missing Lily Tomlin’s”.
Well, it just so happened that
Lily Tomlin was doing her one woman show, “The Search for Signs of Intelligent
Life in the Universe” at McCarter Theater at Princeton University. Since my radio company headquarters was in
Princeton, I knew the director of the theater quite well, so I immediately got
on the phone, explained the dilemma, and asked him if he could set up a meeting
with Lily in a day or two.
The day came, I sat down with
Lily and told her that hers was the only missing essay. “We need 1,500 words by the end of this
week”, I said. She said, “no problem.”
I waited and waited and
waited. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and
finally on Thursday I called her. “Lily,”
I said, “I really need those 1,500 words by tomorrow.” She said, “no problem.”
So, Friday afternoon I got an
email from Lily and attached is her essay.
All 5,000 words of it. I
called her up: “Lily, I only need 1,500
words, do you want to cut this down?”
She said, “no problem. You can
edit it.”
Well, I spent all of the next
day, and half the night cutting and pasting, deleting and counting words. By Sunday afternoon, I really was rather
delirious from reading the essay over and over again, and I just started
laughing out loud. “I’m editing Lily
Tomlin!” “I’m editing Lily Tomlin!”
Needless to say, I got over the
giddiness, finished the essay at 1,500 words, Lily approved it, and right on
deadline, the essay was sent to the typesetter and the book was published just
in time.
But let me finish my story
about the 50th Anniversary party.
The luncheon was held to honor the women in this book. The women who “made waves” and, in spite of
all the things they had to overcome, became a success. Things like executives (all men) who resisted
giving them a job because women were supposed to be at home taking care of
their houses, their husbands, and having babies.
Bankers who insisted that women
had to get their husband’s signature to co-sign a credit card or loan
application. Those women who were fired
because they were pregnant…bosses who were reluctant to allow women to have
opinions, especially on the air. In fact, those women—many of my generation–overcame
things that women today take for granted or maybe don’t even know about.
So anyway, here we were at
Tavern on the Green, the room is buzzing. It’s filled with celebrities, the press, TV camera
men and women, a few hundred people, mostly women, ready to sit down to lunch
and start the program in a room that had glass walls and yes, a glass
ceiling. It was an extremely hot July
day. New York City was sweltering with
record breaking temperatures. And here
we are, ready to honor some of the world’s most famous female icons…and the air
conditioning stops working. No AC, no fans,
no nothing!
Mary Hart from Entertainment
Tonight was my co-host and the two of us were literally dying from the
heat. As we called the honorees up to
the podium, you could see what a struggle it was for them to keep cool. I mean, we were just dripping with
sweat!
But, once they received their
plaques, a copy of the book and were given the microphone, WOW!…they were just
as cool as cucumbers! Gracious,
professional, funny, endearing. It was so impressive….Barbara Walters, Katie
Couric, Connie Chung, Mary Tyler Moore, Candace Bergen, Cokie Roberts…It was
breathtaking! And it was a day I’ll
never forget.
So, time passes on and by 2003,
radio and television were joined by digital media, the internet, cellphones,
tablets, laptops, LED billboards, and so much more. We started the discussion about changing the
name of AWRT to better reflect the changing world of media. Finally, after many fits and starts, in 2010 AWRT
renamed itself the Alliance for Women in Media or AWM. We now better reflected our commitment to all
women in all types of media.
And here we are 10 years later,
2020, and AWM is still flourishing. But
it’s also been sixty-nine years since the founding of this organization. Of incredible media women laying the
foundation for those of you who are here today.
Sixty-nine years of having to
work twice as hard to get half as far, continually having to prove
ourselves. Sixty-nine years of doing the
work, putting in the long hours, hopping the planes, running in heels to get
the story, to meet the deadline, to climb the ladder.
How great is this?!
Now, much of the history I just
spoke about can be researched online. But
what can’t be found via Google, is the power, and the magic, and the friendship
within AWM; the generosity and collective knowledge of its members, old and
new.
Membership in this vital and
vibrant organization should be one of the first items on the “To Do” list once
a woman accepts a position in media.
I mentioned before about some
of the obstacles the founders and subsequent members had to go through way back
when. Well, let me tell you about some
of the obstacles I had to face alone before I joined AWRT.
From 1969 until 1973, I held
several positions in advertising and media: the marketing department of a major insurance
company in New York City, an ad agency in Hartford, Connecticut, doing PR for The
American Heart Association. Finally, in
1974, I decided to move to Cape Cod. I was 25 years old.
It being the 70s, like many other women in
this decade, I was a vocal supporter of the Women’s Liberation Movement. Being female and having to put up with a
great deal of harassment as one of the few women in the advertising world at
that time, it was a no brainer to support Women’s Lib, subscribe to Gloria
Steinem’s Ms. Magazine, and march for equal rights. And I did all of that.
So, after buying an antique sea captain’s
house on Cape Cod in 1974, and then taking a year off to restore it, I decided
I needed to get back to my career. I started
perusing the Cape Cod Times and lo and behold, there was an ad for Account
Executive at WCOD-FM in Hyannis, just 15 minutes away.
I interviewed for the job in March of 1975. And really, I nailed it! I mean you know when you nail an interview. I
had this job! After an hour of
conversation, the sales manager (a man) said this to me: “I think you’re highly qualified for the job, but
I don’t hire women because they’re too much trouble.”
I could feel the heat rise from my
toes. Being a lily white, freckled
redhead, blushing was in my bones.
Anger, fear, shock, embarrassment, any of those emotions could turn me
beet red in less than a 30-second commercial.
So red-faced, I said to him:
“Well, you’re going to
hire me!”
Over the next two weeks,
I called him twice a day: once in the morning, once in the afternoon. I left messages since he wouldn’t take the
call “This is Joan Gerberding, I’m anxious to start bringing in advertising
sales for you.” “I may have missed your call.
I’m looking forward to working for you.”
“When can I start?” You get the
idea. I was relentless.
On the Friday of the
second week of my daily messaging, at 4:30PM, he took my call. He said this: “I just spent the last two weeks
interviewing men for this AE position, they were all assholes. You can start
Monday.”
Thus, began my radio
career. Oh, and by the way. Within the first 6 months, I outsold him and every
other AE on staff; 6 months after that, he was fired, and I got his job as GSM! So, maybe I was “too much trouble” after all!
When I finally discovered
AWRT in the late 70s, I felt that I had died and gone to heaven. I mean here
was a group of professional women who actually wanted to raise me up,
not put me down. Here were women who
were going through exactly the same things I was going through. Dealing with the same issues. I had never had a female mentor before, but
now I had hundreds of them, all over the country. But on Cape Cod, I was the only woman in
radio.
So, in 1980, I accepted
the position of Sales Development Manager at Nassau Broadcasting in Princeton,
New Jersey. There were hardly any more
women there than on Cape Cod, but I felt that sitting between New York and
Philadelphia, the number 1 and number 4 markets, I could grow my career and
really make a difference. And maybe, I
could even bring more women into the business.
I started hiring them. As AEs, PDs, news anchors, DJs, copywriters. I became involved with the New Jersey
Broadcaster’s Association, later becoming its Chair.
The first time I spoke at
a NJBA conference workshop in 1980, I was the only woman there. I had prepared a presentation on selling but
seeing that I was the only woman in a room of over 50 men of all ages, I
ad-libbed the first 15 minutes by actually demonstrating to them how to shake a
woman’s hand! You know, what I mean…when men shake your fingers or barely grab
your hand for fear of breaking you in half?
I made every man in that room shake my hand the right way that day. To
this day a wonderful guy who was there at that workshop and who later came to
work for me, tells me I should write a book and title it: “It All Began with a
Handshake.”
And still I kept coming
back to AWRT. I initiated Leadership
Training seminars for women at the RAB. I became involved with the NAB. And I brought some of what I learned in these
organizations to the AWRT table.
In the early 90s, I was
presented with the AWRT Star Award for women’s leadership in radio. I was named one of the “Top Six Sales
Managers in the United States” by Radio Ink Magazine.
And I kept getting
invited to speak all over the country, not only to AWRT chapters, but also to
women’s business groups and state broadcasting associations, at the RAB and the
NAB.
In 1992, a groundbreaking
book called “Megatrends for Women” was published. The authors said this: “the description of the characteristics of a manager
of the future uncannily match those of female leadership.” In fact, “every item on the experts’ list of
leadership qualities—openness, trust, empowerment, compassion and understanding
balanced with objectivity—describe the female leadership style.”
I took those words to
heart as I stepped up to higher and higher executive positions at Nassau
Broadcasting. And I put those words into
action.
I hired and promoted more
and more deserving, talented women. I made
sure that they all had the core belief that when you work in an environment
that promotes a positive atmosphere, it raises the standards for everyone. And I paid for their memberships in AWRT as
part of their employment packages. It
was the right thing to do.
The members and directors
of AWRT, and now, the Alliance for Women in Media have spent 69 years promoting
and encouraging opportunities for women in media. They’ve paved the way for women to bring a
positive approach to leading our companies, our organizations, our colleagues,
our peers…to success.
The shared experience of
being a member of AWM elevates us all. Vision, direction, autonomy,
trust, belonging, having a voice, being represented, and joyful camaraderie: these are the attributes that not only offer
both women and men success, they are truly assets that allow all media companies
to grow and flourish. And these
attributes are what AWM embodies in the very core of its organizational DNA.
This is our message. This is what inspires
us to Make A Difference. And as we each attain our individual goals it is our duty
to turn around and reach our hands out to the next woman down the line…and the
next one and the next one. To raise each
other up. We need to celebrate our diversity, our strengths, and our ability to
keep our energies focused on the things that make a difference for women in
media.
We must recruit new members from each
upcoming generation of broadcasters. Mentoring
these women, inspiring them, opening doors for them…and finding opportunities
to help them and us create success for all women in media.
We need to continue to develop and refine
programs that provide education, leadership training, outreach programs. To advance the mission of AWM by increasing
its visibility, its credibility, and, as a professional organization, by
contributing to the advancement of the broadcasting and digital media industries
as a whole.
In 2002, just after I was named “The Number
One Most Influential Woman in Radio” by Radio Ink Magazine, I was invited to Capitol
Hill to speak to the FCC. I started that
speech by saying these words: “Mr.
Chairman, Commissioners. First, I’d like
to say that I find it amazing that we’re sitting here today, in the year 2002,
still having to discuss the issues of women’s equality in the broadcasting
industry. The same conversation I’ve
been having since the 1970s.”
Have we advanced since then? Yes.
But we still have a long way to go.
Let me end today by reading from a company
handbook written around the same year that AWRT first came into existence in
1951. This chapter was entitled: “The
Guide for Hiring Women” and there were 10 rules. I’ll just read you a few.
Rule
#1: Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of
responsibility then their unmarried sisters, they’re less likely to be
flirtatious and they still have the pep and interest in working hard.
Rule
#2: General experience indicates that
husky girls are more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight
sisters.
Rule
#3: Give the female employee a definite
day-long schedule of duties so that they’ll keep busy without bothering
management for instructions every few minutes.
Women lack initiative in finding work for themselves.
And last:
Rule
#4: Give a girl an adequate number of
rest periods during the day. A girl has
more confidence and is more efficient if she can take some time to keep her
hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.
Today, in 2020, I say to you. Let’s move our respective industries into the
future. Let’s demonstrate the power of
women when we come together to strengthen, support and promote one
another. Let’s empower the entire media
industry so that it truly reflects and honors the communities we serve.
Being a member of AWM changed me. It made me
a better broadcaster, a better leader.
And it made me a better human being.
So now you have a little organizational
history, some of my personal stories and, hopefully, I’ve inspired you just a
bit. As I said at the beginning,
membership in AWM is a privilege…and I ask you to accept the challenge of
bringing in new members.
As we grow AWM membership, we grow our media
industries and ourselves. We grow the pool of talented, ambitious and
outstanding women who can lead companies forward. We have work to do. YOU have work to do.
Foundation announces Ziploc® Brand as Diamond Sponsor of the 2020 Gracies Gala
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation
(AWMF) has announced that the final deadline to submit entries for the 45th
Annual Gracie Awards has been extended until January 23, 2020. The Gracie Awards, presented by the Alliance
for Women in Media Foundation, celebrate programming and individual achievement
by, for and about women in television, radio and interactive media. Submissions from all facets of media are
encouraged. AWMF is also pleased to
announce Ziploc®
Brand as the Diamond Sponsor of the 2020 Gracies Gala.
The women featured and honored at
The Gracie Awards are the same hard-working, busy women Ziploc® brand helps to stay
organized. With the launch of the fashionable Ziploc® Accessory Bags, busy
women have the perfect solution to stay organized while on the go, with
versatile designs, durable material and multiple sizes. As a trusted brand
among women, Ziploc® brand is excited to partner with the 2020 Gracies Gala to
celebrate women in media.
The Alliance for Women in Media is
also proud to partner with its newest Honorary Trustee, Jinny Laderer,
Co-founder & CEO, vCreative. Laderer
joins Jason Bailey, Sun Broadcast Group, Catherine Frymark, Discovery
Communications, and Mark Gray, Katz Radio Group, as 2020 Honorary Trustees.
“Each year, the Gracie Awards turn the
spotlight on the best and brightest in all segments of the media industry, on
and off the screen, by recognizing groundbreakers in radio, television and
interactive media,” says Becky Brooks, AWM/F executive director. “As our
biggest fundraiser of the year, the Gracies enables the Alliance for Women in
Media Foundation to deliver on its promise of furthering the connection,
education and recognition of women in media.
All of this is made possible by our amazing sponsors like Ziploc® brand
and our Honorary Trustees.”
The 2020 Gracie Awards entry eligibility air
dates are from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019. Entry details, including pricing and updated
categories, can be viewed at https://allwomeninmedia.org/gracies/call-for-entries/.
The 45th
Annual Gracie Awards Gala will be held on May 19, 2020, at the Beverly
Wilshire, Beverly Hills, A Four Seasons Hotel and the Gracie Awards Luncheon
will be held on June 24, 2020, in New York City at Cipriani 42nd Street. To learn more, visit https://allwomeninmedia.org/gracies/.
About the Alliance for Women in
Media Foundation: In 1960, the Alliance for Women in Media became the first
professional broadcasting organization to establish an educational foundation.
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (formerly known as The Foundation of
American Women in Radio & Television) supports and promotes educational
programs, charitable activities, public service campaigns and scholarships to
benefit the public, the electronic media and allied fields. The Foundation also produces
nationally acclaimed recognition programs, including the Gracie Awards®, a gala
that honors exemplary programming created by, for or about women. The Alliance
for Women in Media Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, educational
organization. For the latest news on the Gracies, follow The Gracies on Twitter and Facebook.
For more information about the Gracie Awards and to submit your entries, please
visit www.allwomeninmedia.org/gracies.
At the end of each year, many of us stop to take time to reflect on
what we have seen, experienced and learned, and then, hopefully, how to take
that into the next year. It is often a time to also consider those historical
moments that emerge, and in the case of 2019, it was significant. And each of
you, the community of the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM), provide your own
unique window for the world to see, experience and learn.
Increasingly, watching television, listening to the radio or to a
podcast can feel overwhelming with divisiveness and endless opinions on just
about every topic. Amid hearing those stories – a common theme that emerged at
AWM in 2019 – is courage.
Courage was prominently in the background of the magnificent storytelling
we experienced while reviewing content for the 2019 Gracies Awards. Just a few
examples were Noor Tagouri’s podcast series Sold in America that researched
the sex trade industry from every angle; Leah Remini executive producing and hosting
a program, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath that revealed the
truths of a religion in which she previously participated; Madison Lawson, a
student from the University of Missouri, telling her story of living with a
disability (and flying to New York to accept the award!) and LaDona Harvey on
iHeart’s AM 600 KOGO reminding us in her interview, “I am NOT grateful, I am
qualified”.
Each of these Gracie winners had the courage to tell a story. And many
times, through courage also comes hope. Just this year: A record number of
women were installed in congress; the largest class of African American women
graduated from West Point; an entire community in Texas showed up to a funeral
to support a man who lost his wife in a mass shooting so that he wasn’t alone;
a group of women in Iran seeing their first soccer game from the stands, an
activity that was once forbidden; and, a child hosting a hot chocolate stand to
pay for a classmates’ lunch at school. That – is hope.
One of our favorite stories at AWM is the courage it took for a group
of women in the 1950’s to form a group called the American Women in Radio &
Television – now known as the Alliance for Women in Media. They created the
path for the community we have today, and our current leadership continues to
forge that path.
AWM has given nearly $20,000 in scholarships, created an online
community forum for our members, interviewed more women (and men!) in media to relaunch
our Gracie Interview Series to provide insight and education and heard
first-hand the harrowing experience of Elizabeth Smart during her keynote at the
Gracies Leadership Awards where we also heard from six inspiring and fearless leaders
in our industry about their career journeys.
On a personal level, these stories give me hope and courage for the
future. As my husband and I raise two kids who are seeing and experiencing life
in a different way than we did – we can tell them the stories you have the
courage to tell and encourage them to do the same. We have friends who have
experienced unimaginable health scares and loss – yet our personal community
rallies to support one another – just as we see happening in communities across
the country.
AWM is committed to do even more in 2020. We will recognize story
tellers, bring communities together through our membership and events and
connect women (and men) in radio, television and digital medias who may not
otherwise have known one another. We ask you to join AWM, submit your content
for Gracies consideration, judge Gracie Awards, attend an event – stay
connected.
Our challenge to you in the new year is to continue telling important
stories and to give hope.
