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10 Questions with ... Billy Greenwood
January 28, 2008
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NAME:Billy GreenwoodTITLE:PD/PM Drive TalentCOMPANY:Clear Channel CommunicationsBORN:Newport, RIRAISED:Sedalia, MO
Please outline your radio career so far:
I started out at my hometown radio station, KXKX/Sedalia and have since spent time at KCMQ/Columbia, MO, WKKX/St. Louis, WQDR/Raleigh, WSIX/Nashville and now back in St. Louis at KSD. I've voicetracked more stations that we have space to print.
1) Why did you get into radio in the first place and then how did you end up in St. Louis?Radio is sort of a family business for me. I used to listen to my dad on WMIL in Milwaukee and was always amazed that he got to play for a living. After a few visits to his station and getting to talk to Kerry Wolfe, I knew I wanted to do the same. I moved to St. Louis (the first time) in 1994 and loved the city. When I had the chance to come back in 2003, I jumped at it.
2) St. Louis is like a traditional city. What differentiates KSD from the other stations in the market?
The talent, plain and simple. We're all shipped the same music from the labels, we all play the same stabs and sweepers (at least, in our listener's mind) and we all give away stuff. The difference maker is who we have on and how they are able to present our "stuff" to the audience.
3) What kind of all-stars do you have on your staff?
I'm fortunate to be working with Craig Cornett, our AMD talent. Craig is a veteran of the market and is not only one of the best communicators I've ever worked with, he's also amazing at imaging and production.
4) Have you ever thought about jumping over to the records side of the business? I am sure you have had your side of offers from that side.
Honestly, no. I can't imagine how challenging and frustrating it must be to get people like me on the phone, let alone get new music played.
5) What would be your fantasy job if you weren't in radio?
I think it would be something in the entertainment field. I've always loved acting and wish I had the talent to do television or movies.
6) You voice-track for like 137 stations- how do you do all of that, program a station, do an air-shift and balance a personal life? And with all of that, is there a personal life?
There's not much of a personal life, but I love my job and that makes it less of a sacrifice. I've learned to manage my time and keep my days structured. It's amazing how much you can get done in a day when you're not shooting the breeze with a pretty sales girl or surfing the net. Although, I still find time for the pretty sales girls. LOL!
7) The Bull targets a younger audience, correct? Why would someone listen to your station instead of their iPod?
Because they forgot to charge it? Kidding. There will always be a personal connection we make with our listeners that can't be duplicated with an iPod. We have to be an experience for our listeners and not just another piece of equipment they get music from. We also try to introduce our Bull listeners to great new music that their iPod hasn't heard yet.
8) As a former member of the WSIX (BIG 98) staff, do you miss Music City?
Living in Nashville was a great experience, and I'll always be thankful for having done it. What I miss most are the great friends I made there. Mike Moore, Keith Kaufman and the lady behind the counter at Virginia's meat and three. I couldn't have survived without them. Truthfully, living in Nashville was like going to work and never coming home. No matter where you go, the conversation always ends up being about our industry. It was nice to move back to St. Louis and escape that.
9) What new artists and music are you high on, and how do you feel about the music in general?
We've got some great young talent and I'm really excited about watching them grow! Taylor Swift, Eric Church, Luke Bryan and Lee Brice all come to mind. I think the biggest challenge is finding room to get them exposed. The artists who broke in the early '90s didn't have to compete on the radio with artists from the late '70s and early '80s because it was a completely different sound. I remember working on a station in the early '90s that wouldn't go deeper than 1988 for their gold. Now, a song that is five years old is a recurrent. It's funny how things change.
10) CD sales were down over 16% last year for Country. What we gained in download purchases has not been enough to overcome the CD losses. What would you do if you were Joe Galante or Luke Lewis?
Well, I certainly think the days of buying an entire CD is just about gone. I love music. I buy music all of the time. I go to iTunes, find the artist I want and then preview each song and download the ones I want. I save 5 or 6 bucks every time. Hey, maybe that's the answer - get iTunes to remove the preview option! Okay, that's not going to happen. What about making it only possible to download an entire CD and not singles? You know what I just realized? I'm glad I'm not Joe Galante or Luke Lewis.
Bonus Questions
1. Favorite junk food?
Black licorice. I think it goes back to my Jagermeister days.
2. What's in your player or iPod or player right now that you're lovin'?
Joe Nichols' new song, "It Ain't No Crime."
3. If they made a movie of your life, who would play you in the Billy Greenwood story?
Rainn Wilson
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