Female ageism

it also happens to women actors, the y get to 50 or 60 and tend to drop off the media circus, whereas men go on being sought.
remember that business with older women on the countryside programme being replaced by younger versions, also with newsreaders etc.
and the way older people esp women are portrayed in adverts.
OP, could you send in an audio file of you reading some news to various broadcasters, inc independent radio news.
they have some odd sounding people on in the wee small hours, and for traffic announcements.
i know being on radio would not get the visibility you talk of, but it's a start, networking and all that. good luck.

Blossoming

I think Mary Beard has lovely hair. I certainly wouldn’t call it straggly!

I would, I think it’s horrible and in dire need of a cut and style. Having said that I respect her decision to wear it however she likes.

but most of the women you name varian are on tv niw in the role of performing steers. Look at this well known old lady, gosh she can still speak and, shock horror, has a boyfriend.

We need to be on the media with out our presence being a feature. Just 'here are a group of women (aged 18-90) discussing the problems of travelling by bus, eating candyfloss, or dealing with the AA.

I would imagine plenty of older women in the media eventually get to a point where they've had enough.

So many other people retire, why not the people in the media?

I’m not sure what normal women are, most of us retire and take it easy, a few organize or help out with charity work, others take up local politics. Surely it all depends what we want, do we want the commitment of a work schedule in our 70s and beyond.
Are there more opportunities for older men of the same age?,

I strongly dislike the idea that older women are only acceptable if they don’t have grey hair. Many of the above mentioned have either wigs or dyed hair.

Katie59 and varian I think youve made the ops point for her.
As your examples have advantages that normal women dont.

OH is 80, came home, complaining about being held up in the supermarket by "An old woman" having a long chat with the checkout girl!
She was probably lonely and needed the social contact.
Wonder how old she really was?
Possibly younger than us

I think Mary Beard has lovely hair. I certainly wouldn’t call it straggly!

88 year old Joan Bakewell, 81 year old Gloria Hunniford and 80 year old Esther Rantzen are still on tv, but none of them sport grey hair!

Angela Rippon , Gloria Hunniford, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton and lots more, actually I think we do rather better than the men