The move comes as female artists in the genre have been outspoken about the lack of opportunities for them. The network started a “Women of Country” campaign in 2013 as a way to bring more airplay to female artists, including Ballerini and Morris, and has expanded it into a tour. The network is also doing a day-long “Women of Country Music” takeover across all CMT platforms leading up to their show. Three years ago, a radio consultant garnered national attention for recommending that stations limit the number of female country artists they play to boost ratings, using the analogy of tomatoes in a salad. Many female artists including Morris, Cam and Underwood have all spoken out against a prevailing opinion in the industry that female fans don’t want to listen to female artists.

Source: National Post September 11, 2018 11:37 UTC