10 Questions with ... Cody Alan

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

Cody Alan is a respected veteran personality, producer and programmer in the broadcast industry. After gigs in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, Cody made it to the major leagues at age 23 when he landed in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. In 2009, Alan relocated to Nashville from Salt Lake City, Utah to helm CMT RADIO LIVE WITH CODY ALAN.

Since its inception, CMT RADIO LIVE WITH CODY ALAN has garnered national media attention from Billboard, People, E!, OK! and others for Alan's in-depth artist interviews. Alan was named the 2010 National On Air Personality of the Year by the Academy of Country Music, and is a guest columnist for Country Weekly and a regular contributor on HLN's "Prime News."

CMT RADIO LIVE currently airs in 87 markets nationwide. A four-hour weekly radio broadcast, CMT RADIO LIVE WITH CODY ALAN WEEKENDS, launched in April 2010 and airs in 44 markets.

1) Congratulations on your 500th show. What a great accomplishment. So how did this whole thing get started anyway?

CMT wanted to do a live show that showcased Country music every night, and reflected the unique CMT attitude. Brian Philips, President of CMT, and I had worked together at KPLX "The Wolf"/Dallas over many years. So when he called, it was a natural fit for us to reunite on the idea.

2) Were you confident in the very beginning that the show would be this successful?

Yes. I knew Country fans loved CMT. So I figured that if we could tie that strong fan loyalty to an entertaining radio show, that this would be a winning combination. Plus, knowing CMT got so many great guests for TV and CMT.com, I knew that we could provide big star power on radio that no one else could touch.

3) Give us a snapshot of your average day-when do you go in, how much show prep you do, etc.?

Every day is different. I try to stay flexible because I want to have great interviews and that's means being available during the day when most artists are. If I'm doing TV, I'm in even earlier and stay late to do the live radio show. It's a grind at times, but I love it! When you do this kind of show, you've got to always be "on", with your antennae up for stories/prep from entertainment and life. With nearly everything I think, "Is this content for the show?" I'm just built that way. Thanks to the people around me who keep me on track and everything cranking. Especially Dingo O'Brien, my producer. The cool thing is that when you've got great friends around, you can create and prep, and it never feels like work!

4) How has your on-air style changed and grown since the show launched in January 2009?

The evolution of the show has consisted of improvements technically - plus, some formatics, as we've learned more about PPM. But our content and my delivery haven't changed, as we still believe in providing access to big name guests consistently and relatable content that entertains. I guess I've had a pretty good sense of my on-air style for a while- somewhere between Rick Dees, Ryan Seacrest and Lon Helton!

5) You moved here from your last station, KEGA, in Salt Lake City-did you love living in Music City immediately? What do you love about it?

Nashville is great. I grew up in the South, so it's kind of like coming home! I also love the true love of music here and have an extra appreciation for creativity and artistry. There's always at least one dude on every flight to and from Nashville carrying a guitar!

6) Your show has grown to now be heard in 88 weekday markets and 43 weekend markets. How involved are you with the stations that air the show?

I'm really proud of the stations and markets that have us on. We have a great wingspan of stations, from Dallas to Denver; Poughkeepsie to Portland. I make myself accessible to our affiliates and am always listening to radio, staying involved with PDs and monitoring the pulse on how our stations are doing and where we can help. We also make CMT music research available weekly to all of our CMT Radio Live affiliates. It's a great added asset to the total package our show offers stations.

7) You are also Executive Producer of your show-how do you balance your different roles?

Host is my primary role and focus and why I do what I do. But having a résumé of programming skills and some skins on the wall, I lend a hand to the day-to-day operations of the show, too. I'm careful not to overextend, but I like to be hands-on with the show and the role of EP allows this to happen naturally.

8) Who gives you feedback on your show at CMT and is the show consulted?

Brian Philips always gives genius feedback and I love to hear what he thinks. Thankfully, it is usually positive! Also, we've worked to create an open atmosphere in Nashville with our radio staff and invite critical thinking on the show. In New York and L.A., we have a brilliant group of radio people from MTV Networks and Westwood One who also offer up smart solutions. No consultants, but plenty of feedback to keep us at our best.

9) Do you pick the music yourself? And since it's on in so many cities, do you have to be more conservative in what you add?

There are lots of great ears all around me! Working with our CMT team, we use the research tools at our disposal, charts and affiliate feedback to make music decisions. We want to create the right balance with the music and appeal to the widest audience possible. With my own reputation for loving new music and breaking some songs over the years, I'm always on the hunt as we want to champion new artists we believe in.

10) As you look back what was the best interview you have done so far, and what guests would you like to have on in 2011?

Seriously, can't pick one, but I love Keith Urban, who oozes cool. Taylor Swift is honestly nice. Nicolas Cage laughed at my jokes. Paula Deen was a hoot and even grabbed my butt, which was nice. We feature some of our best interview moments on the website and in my column in Country Weekly.

1) Who are some of the new Country artists that you are high on?

Ashton Shepherd, Frankie Ballard, David Nail, Steel Magnolia, Justin Moore and Gloriana, among others.

2) How do you like doing TV work? As you are also on CMT's "Music & A Movie," and "Hot Headlines"?

I love doing TV. It's a rush! In addition to the CMT shows, it's been fun to be a regular on CNN HLN's "Prime News" and E! News occasionally. We also just launched a daily web TV show, "Hot Headlines" on CMT.com and CMTRadioLive.com. We tape that every day and it looks great with cool graphics and lots of video and audio sprinkled in. Viewers can get a great two minute summary of what's happening in country and entertainment, plus a sneak preview of what's up on the radio show that night!

3) After a hard day at the studio, what is Cody Alan's favorite meal?

I love sour cream chicken enchiladas and anything Mexican -- I'm hungry right now!