Where are all the women on radio?

November 17, 2010 11:14 PM

What are some non-commercial radio shows, anywhere in the world, any language, where there is either a sole female presenter or two female co-hosts?

Obviously these radio stations need to have a live internet feed or podcasts (If not in Australia) Alternatively, I would be interested in podcasts of female-only interviews or radio plays. Again, any language.
(Though bonus points for anything in Hebrew, French or Japanese)

posted by lazy robot to media & arts (34 answers total)

Sook-Yin Lee hosts Definitely Not the Opera on CBC Radio 1 (and RSS/iTunes).
posted by ODiV at 11:26 PM on November 17, 2010

As It Happens (CBC)
Fresh Air (NPR)
Splendid Table (America Public Media)
posted by the jam at 11:26 PM on November 17, 2010 [2 favorites]

Are you willing to accept male guests? If so, here's some from CBC Radio One in Canada:

- As It Happens with Carol Off (Barbara Budd has left, Mary Ambrose has been co-hosting a lot)
- The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti
- Definitely Not the Opera with Sook-Yin Lee
- Spark with Nora Young
- The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers

In addition to the podcasts at each program page, you can listen to live streaming from all Canadian time zones here.
posted by maudlin at 11:28 PM on November 17, 2010

howstuffworks.com (discovery channel) has a stuff you missed in history class podcast hosted by Katie Lambert and Sarah Dowdey. Each is about 15 minutes on one (usually) obscure but interesting slice of history, and they are almost always quite entertaining. The website is a mess, but there are loads of old episodes on itunes.
posted by true at 11:29 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Here is a list of the French shows on Radio Canada (CBC) with helpful pictures so you can usually determine the gender of the hosts.
posted by ODiV at 11:29 PM on November 17, 2010

Oh, and for the howstuffworks one ignore the itunes comments - I guess they must be for the old hosts, the new ones have been there since late 2009 are are both women.
posted by true at 11:32 PM on November 17, 2010

Tell Me More hosted by Michel Martin.
posted by blueberry at 11:33 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

A couple more from the CBC schedule:

- All in the Mind with Claudia Hammond (a BBC re-broadcast worth waking up early for on a Saturday)
- The House with Kathleen Petty
posted by maudlin at 11:35 PM on November 17, 2010

There is an internet radio station in Egypt that is run by and serves divorced women. Because of the censorship in the country, it is more akin to a blog with voices (a community center) than a full-fledged radio station. The shows are all done in individual woman's homes, because grouping would be an administrative headache. The station is login only, so you have to be invited, but here is an article about it.
posted by parmanparman at 11:44 PM on November 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

My friend hosts the grapevine
posted by compound eye at 11:47 PM on November 17, 2010

howstuffworks.com (discovery channel) has a stuff you missed in history class podcast hosted by Katie Lambert and Sarah Dowdey.

As of the past few episodes, Katie has left the podcast. She's been temporarily replaced by the chronically annoying Candace Gibson/Keener. Two of the last three podcasts have been about stupid pop culture crap (which I am blaming on Candace whether or not it's her fault). I haven't heard the latest episode, on the Biltmore Estate, but I'm really worried about where they're going.

No idea about whether Katie's permanent replacement will be male or female - the podcast started out with Candace and Josh Clark, so it could definitely be a guy.

But if you're looking for all-female podcasting, most of the run has been all-female up to now.

There's also a sister podcast, Stuff Mom Never Told You, which also has female hosts.
posted by Sara C. at 11:54 PM on November 17, 2010

Krista Tippet hosts Speaking of Faith. It has a podcast, too.
posted by copperbleu at 12:54 AM on November 18, 2010

A few more public radio shows (all of these are in English):

- Being hosted by Krista Tippett (American Public Media, weekly). This was formerly called Speaking of Faith -- the name change happened a couple of months ago. The show tackles a pretty wide range of interesting subjects/interviews. One of the neat things about the show's website is that it offers extra media not heard on the radio program, e.g. complete unedited interviews in mp3 format, and sometimes video.

- Weekend Edition Sunday (NPR) with Liane Hansen - newsmagazine offering a digest of the week's news, with additional features.

- It's been mentioned already, but thirding As it Happens with Carol Off (CBC, weekdays) - newsmagazine focused on phone interviews, with a good mix of serious and light-hearted topics.

Are music shows with female hosts OK? If so:

- The Thistle & Shamrock with Fiona Ritchie (NPR, weekly) - Celtic roots music program.

- World of Opera with Lisa Simeone (NPR, weekly) - opera performances. This one is live broadcast streaming only, AFAIK (no on-demand stream or podcast).

- Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland (NPR, weekly) - in-studio interviews and performances (not just piano jazz). I think this is also live broadcast/streaming only.

To find out when exactly a show will stream live (since many stations broadcast a show at different times), PublicRadioFan.com is a fantastic resource. Just plug in your time zone and it'll show you all of the available broadcast times, customized for where you are in Australia. You can search by show title, station language, type of audio format provided, and more. The site is extensive and covers many, many radio shows transmitted online around the world.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 12:55 AM on November 18, 2010

BBC radio 4 has woman's hour and Broadcasting House. The former is on weekdays and is excellent, the latter is often but not always hosted by a woman and is weekly. I'm not sure whether international podcasts are available.
posted by plonkee at 1:07 AM on November 18, 2010

France Inter Paris (FIP) has only female presenters (though the newsreaders are male).

From their streaming site:

Curieuse et exigeante, la radio explore en toute liberté le monde de la musique pour faire partager ses enthousiasmes et ses découvertes. Grâce à sa programmation musicale et ses voix féminines complices, FIP s'est forgée une identité unique dans le paysage radiophonique.

For my money, it's the best radio station anywhere.
posted by sagwalla at 1:20 AM on November 18, 2010

Several of the BBC Radio 1 DJs/presenters are female.
posted by emilyw at 1:38 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Maureen Fiedler hosts Interfaith Voices, a public radio show.

I had no idea Speaking of Faith changed its name.

NB: I was the producer of Interfaith Voices for two years. It is now all female hosted with Laura Kwerel as producer
posted by parmanparman at 3:58 AM on November 18, 2010

I was here to mention a lot of triple R shows (Melbourne 102.7) Follow compound eye's link, apart from the Grapevine, I'm thinking Transference (Clem Bastow) Wired for Sound (Jess Mcguire) Twang (Denise Hylands) the Long Grass Sessions... it goes on and on.

My housemate listens to Triple X on Joy (Melb 94.9) which is hosted by a female presenter, and I'm sure there are lots more.

PBS (106.7) has DJs Miss Goldie and Emma Peel, and the awesome City Slang with Kim. Firewater is hosted by Claire someone, and Maddie Mac currently hosts Homebrew. A quick look at their grid tells me they aren't the only ones.

That is only the stuff I have within earshot. Community radio (in Melbourne, anyway) has great representation.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 4:41 AM on November 18, 2010

has a bunch of female hosts. It's mostly music, with some extra stuff thrown in. It's based in Alberta Canada.
posted by meringue at 4:46 AM on November 18, 2010

Diane Rehm
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 4:55 AM on November 18, 2010 [3 favorites]

Sandi Toksvig hosts the BBC News Quiz, though it's a panel show and four out of five panelists are men.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:06 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

KCRW's Good Food, hosted by Evan Kleiman.
posted by bcwinters at 5:07 AM on November 18, 2010

Sound and Spirit with/by Ellen Kushner (PRI - Public Radio International)
posted by Tuesday After Lunch at 5:49 AM on November 18, 2010

Latino USA, a radio show distributed by National Public Radio, is hosted by Maria Hinojosa.
posted by rtha at 5:59 AM on November 18, 2010

does wings count?

WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service is an all-woman independent radio production company that produces and distributes news and current affairs programs by and about women around the world. WINGS programs are used by non-commercial radio stations, women's studies, and individuals. Programs can be heard on local radio stations, on shortwave, on the internet, and on cassettes. The WINGS Mailing List provides updates on stories and new information about women's media.

posted by msconduct at 6:52 AM on November 18, 2010

KPCC in Los Angeles now has The Madeline Brand Show.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:08 AM on November 18, 2010

Democracy Now! is hosted by Amy Goodman.
posted by salvia at 8:13 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

BBC 6 Music has Cerys Matthews, Lauren Laverne (who is currently on maternity leave, but there are old shows up for download), and Nemone, amongst others.
posted by corvine at 8:15 AM on November 18, 2010

Think is daily interview show on KERA in Dallas, Texas hosted by Krys Boyd.
posted by Uncle Ira at 8:17 AM on November 18, 2010

Slate's XX Factor podcast. I can't get their page to load right now, but I presume it would be here.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:24 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's cancelled now, but PRI's Fair Game was hosted by Faith Salie.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 9:52 AM on November 18, 2010

I assume you've got all the ABC and Triple J ones. There are lots.
posted by kjs4 at 2:56 PM on November 18, 2010

WXPN (the public radio station in Philadelphia) has the weekly half-hour Amazon Country, a lesbian-feminist show hosted by Debra D'Alessandro. (It's been on the air since the '70s and is an amazing show!) It airs Sunday nights at 11 pm EST.
posted by lysimache at 5:14 PM on November 18, 2010

Sorry there was supposed to be a link to ckua.com in my previous comment.
posted by meringue at 8:46 PM on November 18, 2010