10 Questions with ... Woody Nelson

NAME:Woody Nelson TITLE:OM/PD/CEO/Coffee Boy STATION:Cowboy Bills Radio, Rocket Radio Network, Radio El Chongo, WSBX MARKET:Key West and Worldwide COMPANY:Georgia Triangle Broadcasting LLC BORN:Hollywood California RAISED:Toluca Lake, CA (The Home of the Best Garlic Bread at The Smoke House)

Please outline your career so far:

It really has not been a career; it has been an adventure in learning. It has been like being a full time career student. In a nutshell, I started in the early '80s in Los Angeles, went to Mexico in the '90s to do English Talk Radio and worked in 28 states in the current decade, which led me to Cabo San Lucas where I created a legendary sound, to where I am now. Mojito anyone?

1) What was your first job in radio?

My first job in radio was as a traffic reporter at KROQ in the old digs in Pasadena. Not glamorous, but not Nome, Alaska as a first gig either.

2) What led you to a career in radio? Was there a defining moment in your life that made you realize, "this is it"?

I had dropped out of film school and needed a new direction. One does not need film school to make movies, one needs nepotism to work in Hollywood. As the song says, I was raised on the radio so being a radio junkie since the age of three I gave it a shot. I changed my major to Communications, got a big fat degree in it and the rest is history.

3) You have just launched a new online radio station, "Cowboy Bills Radio." Tell us a little bit about the station and how you came up with the idea for it.

I am glad you asked. When I was still living in Cabo San Lucas toiling away every day perfecting the on site in bar radio station I had created and implemented, a light when on over my head. I thought, "if I can do this here, in a foreign country mind you, then why not do this for other places?" The only difference is that my initial model for the Cabo station was to be a commercial online radio station that somehow, after I signed my contract and they forgot I was the creator of, morphed into a non-commercial money pit. I was out fishing for Marlin one day and a musician friend of mine asked me if I had ever been to Cowboy Bills in Key West and how Cabo could use a Honky Tonk. I then decided to reduce my role in the Cabo station and return to the USA. From there I worked slowly in stealth mode for almost two years, as while I was in Cabo I was restricted due to my contract.

4) What makes your station unique from other online radio stations out there?

We are a totally interactive radio experience that includes giveaways like trips all over the place and much more to come. To my knowledge the delivery of a radio station from the confines of a bar is limited at this time to my station since the demise of the Cabo station. This station gives instant branding to its namesake and potentially helps drive the tourist economy in Key West or for any other place that wants to jump in as several have expressed interest.

5) What made you decide to launch the station online, rather than start out offering it as a syndicated program? Do you plan on crossing over to terrestrial radio in the future?

As with all of my formats, I am packaging the station as a 24/7 format, which in the near future will be offered to smaller and mid size markets as a turnkey programming solution. Let's face it, radio is changing. I tested it on my terrestrial station for a week where it did well, but due to public outcry I had to revert it back to its Spanish format - which by the way is the only such stick in SW Georgia.

6) What are some of the Country artists/songs are you high on right now?

My two favorites right now are Notorious Cherry Bombs "It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your A** Out All Day Long" and Hank Jr. "Why Can't We All Just Get a Longneck."

7) Our industry is constantly changing these days - playlists are getting smaller, companies are consolidating, etc. What is the biggest change that YOU would like to see happen in the business?

Playlists are getting smaller because it is less work and is less expensive to create. Let radio people be creative, and the ad revs will go up too. I have 1125 songs currently rotating on Cowboy Bills, 4400 on Rocket Radio and 700 on Chongo. It is a lot of work, but it results in much longer listening times. My average listener listens for close to three hours at a shot. Now that is called audience retention.

8) You wear several hats these days, including OM, PD, on-air personality, founder and creator of four different stations/radio networks. Describe a typical day in the life of Woody Nelson. How in the world do you keep up with everything?

Well, I don't sleep much that is for sure. My diet has suffered, but I am adjusting since I am on an almost all seafood diet. Oh, did I mention the MOJITOS? Each station has a designated programming day and I program ahead one week on each. This actually frees me up to fish a lot. Monday I program Cowboy, Tuesday is Rocket, Wednesday is Chongo, Thursday is production day for all three, then Friday I hit the open water Marlin Fishing for a nice three-day weekend every week.

9) What is the best advice you've ever been given?

The Late Great Big Ron O'Brien who I worked with at KIIS back in the '80s as his PM Drive Producer told me "Just play the song. If the listeners hate it you'll know soon enough."

10) What advice would you give to young people looking to succeed in today's music/radio industry?

Diversify. Do not rely on getting rich from radio, but if you have a passion then do it!

1) What are you currently listening to in your iPod or CD player?

Very funny, when I am away from programming I watch "Deadliest Catch," and I am working on the development of my new reality television series we are developing so stay tuned for that. No time for music after hours.

2) In your opinion, what were some great songs that should have been hits, but slipped through the cracks?

David Allen Coe did a song about Jimmy Buffett, but it might have been too obscene to air.

3) Living in Key West, do you find it hard getting to sleep early? Are you tempted to hang out all night at Sloppy Joes and the other KW haunts?

Yes, it is hard to not want to watch topless women ride a mechanical bull like they do every week. I live on sleep deprivation these days, oh and by the way, did I mention the MOJITOS???