Some of country music's most powerful women aren't too happy with Keith Hill.
Keith Hill told CBS, "My stations win by taking females out."
Hill is the radio consultant and the self-described "world's leading authority on music scheduling." He made those comments to CBS following an interview for last week's issue of Country Aircheck.
During the interview, he seemed to perpetuate a sexist view saying: "Trust me, I play great female records and we've got some right now; they're just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females."
But the twist here? Hill says having fewer women on the radio is a demand from country music's biggest listener base: women. But that's exactly who he's getting heat from as a barrage of angry, powerful women are speaking out.
Miranda Lambert included. After saying his comments were B.S., she wrote on Twitter: "I am gonna do everything in my power to support and promote female singer/songwriters in country music. Always."
Music vet Martina McBride has also been outspoken, making a statement on Facebook.
And showing her fans if she's got to be a tomato, at least she's a proud one.
But are women really tomatoes and men lettuce? Ask CMT's senior vice president, and the answer is no.
Leslie Fram said, "Sometimes I wish that people that do run radio stations would maybe get out of their office, go see some shows."
Now when it comes to the validity of Hill's comments, there's some debate.
But we will note: This week, there are just two female recording artists on Billboard's top 25 country songs list.
This video includes an image from Getty Images.
