Radio For Women

[theradiokid]

I'm curious about stations that spicifically target women. I'm not talking about formatics, but radio that actually targets women.

For examples: WVVE in Panama City Florida is "V100; Radio For Women." www.v100.com

KZLK in Rapid City South Decota is "She 106.3; We Know What Girls Like." www.she1063.com

I know that "Blink 102" in New York specifically targeted women, also.

Are there any other stations (past, or, especially, present) that specifically target women? They don't have to have a Hot AC format; they just have to specifically target women in this way.

Any info on this would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[LKellerIII]

Aside from formats, there was ironically a lot of "radio for women" in the first two and a half decades after World War II, when most women were housewives at home, and represented a larger percentage of the mid-day audience than they do today.

I remember my mother listening to radio talk shows hosted by women for women as far back as the late 50s and early 60s. Pamela Mason (ex-wife of actor James Mason) was one such broadcaster who had a mid-day show on KABC radio. As I remember, she was quite literate and erudite, though she made sure much of her show's content was on the lighter side - celebrity interviews and so forth. One other early female broadcaster was Ruth Ashton Taylor on KNX, who was at various times a news anchor, and also hosted local radio feature shows in LA.

Even the Top 40 rock stations would go with softer music in mid-days - the logic (I assume)being that most of their typical teenage audience was in school, and the potential housewife audience skewed a good bit older, and would appreciate some "middle-of-the-road" songs.

 

[swfl]

I too remember when stations would adjust their programing for different parts of the day. Our local Top40 station did just what Lkeller said. During the day they would lean the music to the softer side and then after 6-7PM they would lean the music to the harder side so to speak. I think that was a fairly common practice back in the day. They played to their audience.

I also remember a number of stations that would actually have two different formats depending on the time of day. One area station was your typical MOR/Full Service type of programing during the day then in the late evening and over night hours they played country music. Again I guess they were playing to their audience.

 

[crainbebo]

KTMY 107.1 Minneapolis, myTalk 107.1. All female gossip.

-crainbebo

 

[cd637299]

Wasn't there a station on AM 990 serving the Dallas area that tried this and failed in the blink of an eye?

Also there was WRHB Leesburg FL AM 1410 "Heartbeat Radio" that I think was based on a for-women-only radio station in Trinidad & Tobago. It is possible that the owner left Trinidad to start the thing up.

Again, in the blink of an eye it was gone.

cd

 

[theradiokid]

I also know that in the early part of last decade, there was the Greenstone Media Network, which had a female talk format.

As for a female music format just for women, I know Citadel tried their "Diva" concept in the south, and it, too, met with failure. Maybe they should've tried it elsewhere. I know Citadel also had "Cool Pop" in Harrisburg, PA. It had a following, but was shelved for "Mix" there, instead.

 

[jd]

Beginning in 1965 WFAA-FM (97.9) in Dallas aired "Music For Women Only" but it apparently didn't last too long.

Wasn't there a station on AM 990 serving the Dallas area that tried this and failed in the blink of an eye?

cd

Yes, that was KCAF "Cafe 990," which lasted three days back in 2002. Interesting billboards went up prior to the debut, including one showing a commode with the phrase, "the seat is always down."

For details (both fascinating and sad), go to The History Of Dallas-Fort Worth Radio (AM) at this link and scroll down to 990: www.knus99.com/amlist.html

 

[new_friends_gr]

In the summer of '96 when WDRQ/93.1 (Detroit) re-launched as a Rhythmic AC/Dance station, they were targeting women for a few months. I seem to recall that part of one of their slogans included the phrase "...for the ladies of Metro Detroit."

 

[Bongwater]

Both KEZX-FM and KETO-FM in Seattle in the '60s and '70s had "Music For Women" formats (though likely not at the same time!). I think it was a syndicated format with mostly B/EZ with a lot of female vocals.....

 

[MarcB]

There were stations in Albany (1300), Hartford (990), Baltimore (1370), and I think Plattsburgh (1070) that featured a female targeted talk format.

 

[davideduardo]

Of course, Paul Schaeffer's "His" and "Hers" Tijuana FMs serving San Diego in the 70's need to be mentioned.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Aside from formats, there was ironically a lot of "radio for women" in the first two and a half decades after World War II, when most women were housewives at home, and represented a larger percentage of the mid-day audience than they do today.

In my hometown of Boston, there were quite a few women who hosted women's shows.

Among them were Jean Sargent at the old WNAC (probably the first; she was first heard in the 1920's), then in later years, Priscilla Fortescue (who, with the exception of a brief time in the late 1930's when she went to Hollywood to try her hand at movie acting, did women's shows on various Boston stations from 1929 until well into the 1960's), Duncan McDonald, Louise Morgan and Christine Evans (I believe all of the aforementioned hostesses are now deceased)

 

[firepoint525]

Here in Nashville, we had "Venus 102.5" from 2005 to 2008, a hot AC station. They had Bob & Sheri on in the morning, but later dropped them, becoming the second Nashville station to do so. They also phased out calling themselves "Venus," later opting for just "V-102.5." I believe I still have a V-102.5 bumper sticker. Their call letters were WVNS at the time, and their COL was (and still is, for that matter) Pegram, TN, which is easy for me to remember since I live here in Pegram.

Ironically enough, this station (which I also mentioned on another thread here) is now a sports talker.