We are thrilled to introduce our new blog series at IRS+, designed to celebrate and amplify the voices of talented women within our network.
Through this series, we will spotlight the journeys, achievements, and perspectives of women in radio, aiming to inspire women to pursue careers in this dynamic field and to advocate for greater gender diversity in media. The unique stories of women across the IRS+ network are invaluable, inspiring, and essential to share.
Kicking off our series, we had the immense pleasure of interviewing Carol Dooley, Presenter at Sunshine 106.8. Listen to the interview, or read about Carol’s story, below.
What inspired you to pursue a career in radio, and how did you get started in the industry?
Well, what inspired me to pursue a career in radio growing up in my house in Kilkenny, the radio was always on, and my father was a huge radio fan and would listen to all different stations all over the world on long wave and shortwave. And I used to listen to radio Luxembourg in the evenings, when I was supposed to be doing my homework and I also used to listen under the covers in the middle of the night, and I’d get stations from… Well, I didn’t actually at the time know where, but I suspected they were from the United States and it was all Hellfire and Brimstone.
And I thought it was totally magical, but I never really thought about a career in radio until I went to secondary school and we were given a project in my first year, a career guidance project on five different careers, and I had done the work on four and then I was struggling to find a fifth one and then this pirate radio station had just opened up in Kilkenny so I thought I’ll go out there and I’ll speak to a DJ and find out what that’s all about and what really goes on in a radio station and I’ll never really forget it because it had such a huge impact on me. Instantaneously, I walked into that studio and immediately I knew this is what I wanted to do. So, I put myself forward. I got a job for the summer in the record libraries, sorting it all out for £0.50 an hour, and then they asked me to come and read the horoscopes on the air on the afternoon show while I was there. And I did that and the rest, as they say, is history.
And over the years, I mean, I’ve been working in radio, oh gosh, 47 years, a long time. I’ve done some other work. I’ve gotten out of the industry every now and again over those years, but not for very long, because radio always called me back. It’s where my heart is and I’m very honoured and privileged to be still working in this wonderful industry.
What has been the most rewarding experience in your radio career so far?
With regards to rewarding experiences there have been many, many over the years. From approaching BBC Radio One and then ultimately getting a job there, which was very rewarding I have to say, way back then. And then going to work with some amazing people in the UK and then over in the United States.
Getting the opportunity to manage radio stations as a Programme Director was very rewarding, but I would say probably one of the most rewarding things as a broadcaster for me, was during COVID and working at Sunshine 106.8 in Dublin and realising the impact, the positive impact and the effects that we had on our listeners because let’s face it, for most of us, it was a very scary time, a very challenging time, a very traumatic time. And we know, because this is the feedback we’ve been given from our listeners through the music, through our style of broadcasting, through our commitment to providing a safe place for people to come and listen to relaxing music. Music therapy as I like to call it. It really did make a difference. And it helped people get through that truly awful time, actually. And we were all blown away by the response that we got from our listeners and the emails and the letters they sent us, thanking us. So, to have been able to do that for people, to have been a part of their journey through COVID and lockdown, to be a place that they wanted to come to escape, I guess, all the trauma and for us to have had such a positive effect on how they were feeling as a result of what we were giving them through the music. What could be more rewarding as a broadcaster than that?
What are your thoughts on the current representation of women in radio?
When it comes to women in radio, I think, I mean, looking back to when I got involved way back 47 years ago, there actually weren’t that many women. And I remember being very inspired myself by, you know, people like Annie Nightingale on the BBC. And Janice Long. Women in radio then were predominantly in the journalistic field, which is fantastic, of course, but there weren’t that many women music presenters or women DJs, so it was very male-dominated. So, now when I look at what has happened over the years, I mean look at radio all over the country, that has certainly changed.
So, I think actually there’s been tremendous steps forward in that respect and I am delighted to see it. I remember when I first got into radio, I was told that listeners didn’t like listening to female voices on the air, which is why there weren’t many women broadcasters in, you know, the music field. But of course, we all know now that that’s absolute nonsense and people love to listen to them. Well, people love to listen to women. They love to listen to men. They love to listen to anybody who is going to connect with them and who they feel gets them. You know, someone they can trust, and perhaps in some way you know becomes sort of a friend to them or someone that they can share their daily lives with. So yes, we’ve come a long way. I’d love to see more women on the radio, of course.
In your view, what steps do you think could be taken to have female voice in media more equally represented?
Women do have to take the responsibility, actually, or should I say, share the responsibility to put themselves forward for it. I remember when I was a Programme Director, and you know, you would ask, or you would get demo tapes in at that time, and primarily they were from men. There were very few women. Now, I don’t know what the situation in that respect is now because I’m not a Programme Director. I’m an on-air broadcaster, but I would suspect that there are still more male applicants than female. But I could very well be wrong. I hope I’m wrong. I’d like to think it is more equal now, but if I am right, then I would like to see more women actually put themselves forward.
But as I said before, you know, there are so many more women on the air now—women journalists, women DJs, women producers, women doing all sorts of different roles within the radio industry, which is absolutely fantastic. I love to see that. I’ve always been a great champion of women on the air, and I love to listen to women on the air.
Do I think that quotas should be introduced? I’m not a big fan of quotas. I don’t think women should be on the air just by nature of their gender, the same way that I would say I don’t think men should be on the air by nature of gender. When it comes down to it, it’s all about who is going to connect the best with the listener. But women do have great empathy, and women can be incredible broadcasters and communicators, as evidenced by the great women that we have already on the air in this country. Behind the scenes too.
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to enter the radio industry?
Well, my advice for young women who might be considering a career in radio is to, well, come on in because we would love to have you. And now more than ever, the opportunities are there for women, I genuinely believe that.
But think about what it is that you would like to do in radio. Do you want to be behind the microphone? Do you want to be behind the scenes? If you want to be a broadcaster, what kind of broadcaster do you want to be? Is it music? Is it journalism? Is it more of a light entertainment? What is it that you want to do? And listen, listen to other women on the radio. Listen to other men on the radio. Not so that you can emulate them, but so that you can get an understanding of what it is that they do that you are responding to. Why do you like the people you like on the air? How are they talking to you? The more you listen to radio, the more you get an idea of what it is to be a broadcaster if broadcasting is what you want to do.
It doesn’t do you any harm these days also to be active on social media; this is the way of the world now. And I’m not saying that you need to have, you know, six million followers or anything, but you do need to understand how social media works. So, use that to your advantage as well and get in touch with your local station. Find out if there are any opportunities, maybe to come in as an intern or even to watch. Soak it up because when I started, we would do anything. I made the tea. I’m not suggesting that everybody has to do that, but be prepared to put the graft in. The reward for putting that graft in is absolutely huge, I guarantee you that.
Carol with her dog, Ruby Sue.
What role do you believe radio plays in today’s media environment, especially with the rise of digital platforms and podcasts?
Certainly the whole media environment has changed, but radio is still hugely important. Recent JNLR figures confirm that 81% of adults listen to radio on a daily basis, and it’s interesting too. Actually, while originally, or once upon a time, the Internet was initially blamed for a loss, perhaps in the number of radio listeners, in many ways, it has actually helped to bring radio to a new generation of listeners.
So, instead of approaching, say, radio versus digital or radio versus podcasting, we probably need to stop pitting them against each other and look more at how it all can work together to the benefit of the radio station and, of course, the listener.
I mean, people don’t listen to radio the same way that they did, say, 40 years ago, but radio stations now, by using the technology that is there for podcasts, giving listeners the opportunity to listen back to content, to shows that they might have missed, this is all adding to the listener experience.
People will always want to know what’s going on. They will always want to be able to connect with somebody live on the air. They will always want to know that somebody is there talking to them. They will always want to know what is happening in the news right now. I mean, really, the bottom line is the industry needs to keep up and to continue to serve our listeners in the way that radio always has. We need to, and in fact, we are adapting to this digital age and making the most of the new technologies and the innovations that are there to provide a better listening experience for our listeners.
Can you talk about any mentorship experiences you’ve had, either as a mentor or mentee, and how they’ve impacted your career?
You know, looking back over my many years in the industry, I have met so many very interesting, very talented people, people who’ve held my hand, who have taught me so much. I think I mentioned earlier on that radio broadcasting is both an art and a science. When I first started, particularly in the pirate stations in Dublin back in the mid-80s, that’s where I learned microphone technique and projection. But it was only when I went to the United States and met somebody called Steve Goldstein, the Group Programme Director for SAGA Communications, who owned, and still do, many radio stations across the country, including the radio station that I worked for in Northwest Washington State, that I was introduced to a whole new perspective on radio.
The idea that radio is a brand and you have to be true to your brand as a radio station—you have to know who you are. Because if you don’t know who you are, then how can your listeners know who you are? And if they don’t know who you are, how can they possibly be loyal to you? He told me about formatics, about crafting a link, about how to get into a link, how to get out, how to communicate more personally with listeners, how to talk to listeners one-on-one, how to sell music, how to know when to stop talking, how to not talk over music ever.
I brought a lot of what he taught me back and used that to help mentor those who were working with me when I was a Programme Director, and that has been such a joy to be able to do that. I was 10 years as a Programme Director for this classic rock station in the United States, and he and other managers there really taught me how to develop a team, how to work with a team, how to encourage a team, how to bring a team together, and how, if you get that right behind the scenes, that can translate across the airwaves and bring your listeners even closer to you. It was wonderful to be able to bring a lot of that back with me and use what I had learned there to share with broadcasters and producers I have worked with in radio here in Ireland.
For the last 12 years or so, I have worked for Sunshine 106.8, and that has been an absolute joy. I am very fortunate and blessed. I’m excited to go to work every day. I love my job at Sunshine. I love the people I work with. I have huge respect for the CEO of Sunshine, Sean Ashmore, who has been so supportive of me over the last 12 years, and to watch him and how he has directed the station to become one of the most successful stations, not only in Dublin but in the country, is incredible. The team that he has put together and developed, and the respect that he shows all of us, just makes coming to work such a joy.
What projects are you currently excited about?
I also just finished a tremendous project for Sunshine, a series of interviews under the title, “What’s Your Story?” where I sat down for an hour with different people who talked about the tremendous challenges they had faced and gone through in their lives. Despite these challenges, and some of them absolutely mind-blowing, let me tell you, they have been able to turn everything around and use their experiences so that now they are all in a place where they are helping other people navigate through their own lives and challenges. These interviews are now available to listen back to on the Sunshine website. It was an incredible experience for me to do it, and I’m so glad that they’re there now. Hopefully, they might give hope to other people who perhaps are feeling hopeless themselves or who just don’t know where to turn because their lives have become so difficult. I’m so happy that I was given the opportunity to produce and present these interviews.
So yes, I’m very excited to do that every day and to have the experience of sharing what we do and this beautiful music that we play every day to help listeners navigate life in a better way. The feedback we get from them saying that they love our music, that they love the radio station, that it makes life easier for them, that it’s a place to come to for extra relaxation and stress-free listening, and how much they appreciate that—you can’t really ask for anything more, can you?
In my personal life, I’m excited about going back to school and continuing my pottery courses that I started earlier this year, and philosophy as well, which I’m very much into. And this is the year I finally decided I’m going to learn Spanish. I’ve been talking about it for a long time. I was thinking of taking up the tin whistle too, but that might be a step too far, so we’ll see what happens.
But yeah, I don’t in any way underestimate how fortunate I am, and I’ll always be very grateful for the experiences the radio industry has given me and for the fact that I’m still very happily ensconced in it. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about it too. It’s been an absolute pleasure.
Carol Dooley, Presenter, More Music Drive, Sunshine 106.8 (Dublin)