as taken off allaccess.com:

Pacific Empire Radio Needs Women
Pacific Empire Radio in La Grande, OR is looking for someone that wants to get their foot in the door. We are losing one of our female voices and would really like to replace her with another female voice. This would be a Promotions director job as well as a mid-days show on our Classic Rock station and other on-air duties. Men can of course apply but we really need a females voice. La Grande is a small town in Oregon and applicants must be ready to live the small town life. Working hard is going to be part of the deal. Please e-mail Bobby D, Program Director for Pacific Empire Radio at bobbydradio@hotmail.com PLEASE NO CALLS! Send resume with mp3 audio. Pacific Empire Radio is an equal opportunity employer.


Three points I have:

1. Is it still legal to say " we only want THIS gender to fill this job?"

2. If you make it apparent that you want a girl so bad, why even say " Men can of course apply". Obviously, it'll be a waste of time and money for anyguy.

3. I love how it says " Pacific Empire Radio is an equal opportunity employer." EOE?! Apparently, NOT on this ad/ position!


Whoever posted this sounds like an idiot.

It's legal for the same reason it would be legal to insist on hiring a white male actor to play the role of a character in a movie that was about a white male; it's essentially casting for a roll. It's similar to the supreme court's ruling that restaurants like Hooters don't have to hire men because it compromises the concept of their business model. Sorry, I don't have the time to locate and cite sources at the moment, but this is my understanding.

However, what would a woman do that a man can't? , and why would they tell guys to still apply since it's obvious they are hell bent on a woman. To me, it's reverse sexism, and whoever posted it should be looked into. It doesn't sound like they are an EEO employer to me.

Let's put it this way: What if there was an ad that says " Looking for a MAN". All holy hell would be raised.

This isn't Hooters, or a " role". It's a radio job.

What if they were to say " we're really looking for a white person to apply" ?

Reverse sexism? I'm sorry, but allow me to nitpick for a moment, because I've always hated that phrase. To say being opposed to hiring a man is "reverse sexism" is to suggest that "sexism" ONLY refers to discrimination against women. Sexism is sexism, regardless of what gender you are discriminating against. There is no such thing as "reverse sexism."
That's the same as "reverse racism," which is commonly used to describe discrimination against white people. Discrimination against ANY race is racism. Period.
Sorry, EugeneBob... nothing personal. That phrase (and others like it) have always irked me. So I just had to rant for a second. Please, continue the conversation.

"We are losing one of our female voices and would really like to replace her with another female voice."

That sounds like casting for a role to me. A radio show is entertainment, and a station should have every right to "cast" a show host based on characteristics that would normally not be allowed to be considered in employment. Besides, if a male had a female-sounding voice, he'd technically meet the qualifications.

Nope. not gonna agree.

Radio is a workplace. This is not a movie. This is not a commercial. You can't put " Equal Opprotunity employer" , while comming out and saying basically : " if you're a guy, we don't want you". THAT is NOT equal opprotunity.

I hate sexism - PERIOD. Whether it's aimed at men or women.

And yes, there IS reverse sexism. There are man haters of the world.

No, this is not a legal ad. It was clearly posted by someone who has never been in a courtroom. However, if he writes many more ads like that one he will.

While it is true that he is "casting for a part" legally it is not the same. If he could justify a specific reason why that role needs to be filled by a woman then he could legally post the ad. "Because we want a woman" is not good enough.

Eugenebob:
I think you misunderstood what I was saying. I'm not suggesting there are no man-haters in the world. But what makes that "reverse sexism" as opposed to just plain "sexism"? Sexism is not defined as discrimination against women, although that is the most common form of sexism. But sexism is really discrimination against ANYONE, regardless of male or female, based on gender. Discrimination against men is sexism, the same as discrimination against women. It is not "reverse sexism." It's just plain-old sexism.

Have we gotten to the point yet where white males are protected by the EEO guidelines? I thought it was just females, older people and other races.

Nope, not a legal ad as race sex or gender is not specific for this particular job. YOU MAY NOT STATE PREFERENCE, though they are certainly welcome to hire whom they want. Still, the ad contradicts their "we are an EOE employer", and is BLATANTLY discriminatory.

Now could you sue? yes, Would you win? Only if you applied then could prove you were not hired because of your lack of female qualities, and no other factors. Being subjective, the lawyer for the station would argue that your "SOUND" did not suit their needs. Though the judge would probably rule that the ad did indeed exclude males from the selection process despite the comment that they were welcome to apply, the result would be legal costs to the station, and a warning to reword future ads. The result would stand, and other than satisfaction that you busted a moron, I wouldn't expect that you would be next in line for a position.

As for this group:
glad they have some live people.
It's La Grande.
Honestly, they won't get more than a few submissions.
Male or female, don't expect ANY professional courtesy like was talked about in another thread.
Expect to be a card reader, and not much more.
They sure have had a number of ads of late. This is the fourth in the past few months.

Maybe they are casting a "ROLE". Stick to the script.

(kennewickman, skip this station. Bobby D. Mc Radio will find your experience too intimidating)

As a woman in radio and actively looking for a job full-time. I find it very difficult for woman to break the role of the Morning show laugh track or Midday girl. Despite what you think, there are still a lot of old school PD's that believe woman have a "Place" on the air.

Fortunately, there are more women in the Portland market that are on the air in non-traditional roles such as hosting the afternoon drive or Program Director.

I say..let us have the few gigs that we can get damn it!

Kristina

Kristina;

I agree with you about the "old skool" PD syndrome. I am tired of the "laugh track" mentality for women as well. The solution is that YOU women have to change that. I know who you are, and you sound good. (yes, I have listened to you)
However, I don't believe in discriminating against ANYONE. And the afore mentioned ad is blatantly discriminatory.

Let me ask you this; what if the ad were to have said: “ WE ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR A MAN. WE LOST OUR LAST MAN, AND WANT TO FIND ANOTHER MAN TO REPLACE HIM. GIRLS, YOU CAN STILL APPLY, BUT WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FOR A MAN”… Pacific empire radio is an EEO.

What would you say then?

Sounds to me from reading the ad that they're looking for a female voice, not a female body. So if you're a guy who sounds like a woman, you could be their female voice.

Perhaps more common, are the ads that do not discuss gender, but the hiring process has already been determined behind closed doors regarding gender. This happens all the time in our business, especially with male/female teams. There are a number of code words..."sidekick", "co-host", usually, (not always), mean female. My favorite is, "host already in place, need someone who will complement him".

"this would be a promotion director's job"

this is where they crossed the line.

Isn't "Movin 107-5" the only Portland station with a female PD and afternoon personality?

"As a woman in radio and actively looking for a job full-time. I find it very difficult for woman to break the role of the Morning show laugh track or Midday girl. Despite what you think, there are still a lot of old school PD's that believe woman have a "Place" on the air."

Amen, K...you are so right about this - but it's going to take more female PDs to change this, and the percentage has remained stagnant for years. The old model of a "woman's place" in radio is so ingrained in most men that it's hard to change.

I just quit a gig where the PD had me schedule "no more than 4 female artists in any hour and no female artists back to back" -- in 2007!! Old myths and biases die hard, and no amount of legislation changes that. It just takes time.

And for what it's worth, I an female and find the ad a bit offensive and sexist.

In the 80's we had women working back to back. Afternoon drive and evenings. Revolutionary for the times. Very much so, considering we were a Country oriented station. They were both great. Debby Baker and Amie Christie.

I too wish there were more women PDs. I always did well working for women.

Women PDs

Carol Dooley Bellingham WA.
Meg Stevens WKXA Findlay Ohio
Sue Wilson WQMX Akron Ohio

"No female artists back to back"... Stone age thinking... har har har..... Bet that lights up the phones with angry callers. That would be funny except I once got chewed out for that very thing, and it wasn't in 1980 either......

First ad that says "wanted, Older white guy", I'm on it. I'll feel bad that it's not EOE compliant, but I'll still apply.

Foot in door. I did that once. Now, if I could get the other one in as well............

My favorite radio show, since moving to Portland area, Donavan and Deb, and I liked Deb most.

I think the ad may be legal, because they only say they would like to replace her with another woman, but their accepting all tapes.

I think a good lawyer could have a good day with the case though.

KGON had Iris Harrison in the morning and Gloria Johnson in the afternoon. There was another woman in a high profile position; she may have been the PD. This was all at the same time. For their trouble, KGON was only able to muster a paltry 13.3 share!!!

During that period Iris was Operations Manager & P.D. Gloria was Asst. P.D & Music Director.

Thanks, that might be what I remembered.

completely illegal