Billboard Broadcaster Of The Week: Bill Cody's Storytelling Style Wins Fans At Wsm

In the Nashville market, where Gerry House at WSIX gets the attention and accolades, WSM-FM morning man Bill Cody is hoping to quietly gain ground through consistency, longevity, and his strength as a storyteller.
He's already gotten the industry's attention. Cody is nominated for two Billboard/Airplay Monitor Radio Awards (Billboard, Aug. 1). He's up against House in the local air personality category for the second year in a row, and the syndicated show Cody hosts for MediaAmerica, "Country's Most Wanted," is nominated as network/syndicated program.
The latter nomination is particularly noteworthy, since Cody's first shows as host of "Country's Most Wanted" didn't air until February. The show, previously hosted by former WSIX p.m. driver Carl P. Mayfield, was sold by SW Networks to MediaAmerica late last year. It now has about 200 affiliates, just slightly less than the Mayfield-hosted version had.
Cody has only praise for rival House. "I congratulate him on the job he's been able to do and his ability to sustain that," he says. "It's a mark of excellence. One thing you can't put a tangible value on is longevity in the market," especially "when you see a guy like [House] taking on all comers, as it relates to all formats and challengers."
Cody says he tries to avoid getting "caught up in trying to knock Gerry off in a market where a lot of people think it can't be done." Yet he adds, "If I didn't think it could be done, I wouldn't have accepted the challenge to come to the FM." His challenge is "to do what I do but, over a period of time, be able to carve our niche in the marketplace."
Cody says every air personality has strengths, and "somewhere along the way, you determine who you are as a personality, whether you're a comedian or a great voice or whatever your thing is. Knowledge of country music is a hook for some guys. For me . . . because of who I am and the way I was raised, I'm a storyteller.
"Out of that, I hope there's a warmth and genuineness that comes [through]. That's the nature of a storyteller, someone who's compelling enough to hold your attention. That authenticity comes from who I am. My life's been a lot easier since I determined that. I'd listen [to my airchecks before] and think, 'Golly, you're just jockin'.' "
In addition to his morning-show job and "Country's Most Wanted" duties, Cody hosts a Sunday-morning oldies show for WSM-FM, which he hopes to someday syndicate, and he does on-camera work for TNN, including fill-in work as host of "Prime Time Country." His previous radio syndication work was co-hosting "The Nashville Record Review" with Katie Haas in 1995 and '96.
Cody was the 12-year-old son of a Baptist preacher when he got his first radio job at his hometown station, WLBN Lebanon, Ky. That introduction to radio came because WLBN aired Cody's father's Sunday sermons. Cody worked there through high school and college, then landed a job at then top 40 WVLK Lexington, Ky. That led to full-service AC WHAS Louisville, Ky., where he worked his way up to afternoons. Next came morning duties at crosstown Louisville country WCII; country WHOO Orlando, Fla.; and seven years at country AM KKYX San Antonio, where, Cody says, "I came into my own."
All the while, Cody dreamed of working at WSM. When a friend told him the station's morning show was open, he jumped at the chance and landed the job on the classic country station. After 2ƒ years at the AM, he moved to his current job on the FM side two years ago.
Cody's morning show and "Country's Most Wanted" sidekick is Amie Harper, whom he calls "a great idea person. She's such a great complement to what I do. The chemistry is so right."
He describes his version of "Country's Most Wanted" as "an extension of what we do in the morning, but we have more freedom, because we're not hooked up to the clock and weather and traffic and all the other things you're [tied to] in the mornings." Among the features he's added to the syndicated show are road-story segments, where artists recount their touring adventures, and the "Cody Phone" mystery-caller segment.
As you might expect from a self-described traditionalist, Cody is concerned about the pop direction country is heading in.
"It tends to be a little more polished, show-biz, and not as country as I'd like to see it be," he says. "The jury's still out on where country music is going and how radio as a result will be affected by that."