Australian broadcasting’s ‘harmful’ gender pay gap at 21.8% [report]

A study of the Australian’s radio, TV and film industries has found that a 21.8% gender pay gap exists, while 80% of radio presenters are male.

The University Of South Australia study found “entrenched gender and diversity imbalance” at senior levels.

While Breakfast radio reaches 86% of Australians over 14 years of age, women over 45 are most absent from on-air roles.

Although women do outnumber men in radio journalist gigs, 9.8% of male journalists earn more than $144K, compared to just 1.2% of females.

The study warned that if things stay the way they are, there is a danger of “predominately male, middle-aged, white workforce projecting their views on Australia”.

To conduct the study, University of SA researchers applied a quantitative analysis of gender diversity variables to custom data sets of 2011 and 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data for Film, TV and Radio employment.

The study also found that Australian patterns of broadcast employment were replicated globally.

“On the surface, there may seem to be diversity, especially in terms of gender, but when it comes to seniority and job security this is certainly not the case,” said lead author Professor Susan Luckman.

“Men still overwhelming dominate the senior roles in film, television and radio. This has clear implications for a diversity of stories and voices.”