The Industry According To….Woody, Premiere Networks

Thank you for checking out ‘The Industry According To’. This series runs each Tuesday, and features radio and record industry executives, managers, programmers, talent, artists, and professionals from all areas of the business world. For future guest consideration, email me at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com.

Today we visit with one of the hardest working and most successful morning guys in the industry, Woody Fife. He owns and hosts the nationally syndicated “The Woody Show,” manages the cast and staff, and brings a unique perspective as both a business owner and veteran talent.  

“The Woody Show” broadcasts live from Los Angeles on KYSR/Alt 98.7 each morning and can be heard across the country in places like St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Philadelphia, Indianapolis and other markets.

So, let’s dive in.

From the FM Era to Digital Scorecards

Keith: You were doing morning radio before digital goals became such a big part of measured success. With digital now a part of the scorecard, how has your approach to the show and content changed from maybe 15 years ago?

Woody: It hasn’t really changed too much. I still approach what we do the same way. It’s a listening medium first, everything else second. The river doesn’t flow backwards. We start with what’s a great idea that makes sense for over the air. If there’s a way to make it work for digital—whether that’s YouTube, Instagram, or other socials—then so be it. We’re found in all of those spaces—podcasts, social, etc., but it’s not where we plant the seed.

The Influence of Morning Radio Today

Keith: Morning radio used to be a lone wolf with newspapers as dominant influences on markets, but the paradigm has shifted due to an abundance of choice for news and information — what superpower does morning radio still have and do better than anyone else?

Woody: I think our superpower is connection—the personal relationship we’re able to cultivate. We’re the best friend they’ve most likely never met. News sites, entertainment blogs, YouTube videos… they all serve their purpose, but they lack anything truly personal or vulnerable. Those things provide the connective tissue that makes all the difference.

Local and Syndication Balance

Keith: Industry strategists say “being local” is a bigger opportunity and more important now that it was decades ago. Do you agree with that, and how do you balance having some “local presence” in several different markets all at the same time?

Woody: If being local is your thing, go all in on it. A great example is Preston and Steve in Philadelphia. It doesn’t get any more local than that, and they’re an EXCELLENT show. “The Breakfast Club” is an EXCELLENT national show with very little in the way of local content. Both are successful. I don’t believe in “local for the sake of being local.” Just because it’s local doesn’t mean it’s interesting, and vice versa.

For “The Woody Show,” we give affiliates the opportunity for us to sound as local as we do in our home market of Los Angeles. For example, “The Woody Show” airs in afternoons on 105.7 The Point in St. Louis. Localization is super important to them. When you listen to our show there, it’s very localized. But that’s up to each station, and not everybody is interested in that—or in doing the work that comes with it.

Audience Relationships

Keith: There’s a lot of talk about the importance for radio to build “audience connection,” but what actually builds listener relationships and loyalty in 2026? What will keep someone choosing your show every morning versus everything else available to them?

Woody: Getting their attention is step number one. Even with the challenge of competing with everything else out there, I’d argue that’s still almost the easiest part. The hard part is everything that comes after that. Sure, you got their attention once, but now you have to do it again tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. And you want them to listen longer today than they did the day before. I know it’s overused, but authenticity is key. Keep things fresh and evolving. Loyalty is earned when you combine those things with consistency. You show up and meet the expectation day after day.

Audience and Content Differences

Keith: Musical preferences can change from city to city, but do you see content preferences or differences?  In other words, does a segment from your show or a general subject matter do much better in one city than another? If so, how do you manage that?

Woody: I don’t think it matters. I have yet to find a market that doesn’t think they’re somehow “special” and different from everywhere else. Sure, there are subtle differences here and there, but people are people. We all live in the same country. People here are watching the same TV shows, movies, and listening to the same music. Despite what you might see or hear on social media, we have way more in common than we do differences. I try to pull content from that common ground—the things we can all relate to.

Prep vs. Spontaneity

Keith: I’ve heard you arrive to the studio at around 2am, which a) makes you a vampire and b) shows how much time and effort you put into the show. When the mic turns on, how much is planned vs. spontaneity?

Woody: It’s because we’re so prepared that we can pivot to spontaneity when the opportunity presents itself, instead of relying on it and hoping something good happens.

I can tell you what we’re doing every segment for the next seven shows. Those segments are prepped and ready. But things don’t always go to plan. Something you thought would be a home run ends up being a strikeout. Something you thought would be a quick two-minute conversation turns into something bigger. I never wonder what we’re going to do next. It all goes back to being ready when a listener gives you that opportunity. Good teams come up with a game plan and practice hard so that when it’s game time, you can relax and focus on execution.

Game Film and Growth

Keith: How do you go about growing, getting better, evolving? Do you get advice from PDs or corporate coaches? Do you actually listen to your show and critique yourself and the cast?

Woody: I’m always thinking about the show. I’m by far our biggest critic. I have a group of people I go to for feedback. Some of them are in radio, some aren’t, but they’re all people I trust for honest advice. I crave that feedback and look forward to seeing the research we get about the show. I haven’t hit a 100 share yet, so there’s always room to improve. I’m not too precious about any of it. Somebody told me years ago, “The minute you begin feeling fine and fair is the beginning of your downfall.” I believe that. That said, there’s no way I’m sitting through an aircheck with a program director ever again 🙂

Cancel Culture & Insensitivity Training

Keith: At the top of every hour, listeners hear you say, “… insensitivity training for a politically correct world.” For those unfamiliar, explain what that means, and how do you go about pushing boundaries without crossing lines that can lead to being exiled.

Woody: That’s something I’ve used on the show for the last 15 years. It’s only made more sense over time. It was basically a “trigger warning” before anyone used the term “trigger warning.” It started as a joke in response to some company training that the employees at the station were given at the time called “Words Hurt and Harm”, which was under the umbrella of “sensitivity training.” We did the training live on the air, and at the end of it listeners declared that our show was “insensitivity training for a politically correct world.” We thought it had a good ring to it, and it stuck. It’s basically our way of saying we’re here to have a good time, not toe the line.

What Marketing Moves the Needle for Radio?

Keith: You’re responsible for much of the marketing and promotion for your show. What actually moves the needle outside of content?

Woody: It depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re looking for attention (new ears): things like prizing, stunts, the right social media push, or billboards can work. We had someone on our show walk 41 miles from the radio station to Disneyland.

If you’re looking for connection with the audience you already have, it’s about organizing events and getting face-to-face with listeners.

It’s never one or the other. You need a mix of both. And you don’t always need money to make a splash. Sometimes you just need a good idea. One of our biggest promotions in the last 12 years cost $500 to buy a car off Craigslist for a “piece-of-shit car giveaway.” We smoked every other station in the building in both ratings and digital traffic, and they were giving away huge high-value prizes (Pay Your Bills, another station was giving away “his and hers Mercedes”)

Ratings

Keith: Statistically, it wouldn’t be uncommon to have a big book in one market and a down result in another — how closely do you follow the ratings, and how does it impact how you approach your show?

Woody: I don’t look at the ratings. I hear about them from time to time if someone shares them, but I made a decision long ago to focus on what I can control. If I can’t control it, I don’t worry about it. Everyone in radio complains about Nielsen, but we’re all in the same boat. We don’t control who gets a meter or how long they keep it. So I can’t worry about that. What I can control is what we do on the air every day: being prepared and putting out the best of what we’ve got on any given day, not being complacent, and trying to improve and evolve the show to keep things interesting. There will be ups and downs but doing those things consistently over time will get you where you need to be.

Young Talent

Keith: An 18-year-old walks into your studio and wants to know how to become the next big radio star. What’s your advice?

Woody: One thing I hate is when people answer this question with “run.” Like we have it so bad in radio. Look at what most people do for a living. On our worst day it’s still better than painting stripes on the highway.

Okay, what would I advise? My advice would be to think beyond radio—beyond FM, AM, XM, even beyond audio—because that’s where things are heading. I’d ask them, “What’s your thing?” Find your lane and focus on it. Figure out what you naturally pour your energy into—music, lifestyle, comedy—and set out to become the go-to for that. There will be failures and setbacks. Have patience. You’ll need it.

The One Thing

Keith: Research would say being “consistently funny” is the most important trait a morning show can possess. Let’s assume that’s right. What’s #2?

Woody: Authenticity. Consistency.

2040

Keith: What does morning radio look and sound like in 10-15 years? Are you still going to the iHeart LA studios and doing a live show? Do benchmarks like DUI-Q or Friday Fail Stories still live on the radio? What changes do you see in the future?

Woody: In 10-15 years? God, I hope not. I can promise you I won’t be waking up in the middle of the night anymore. We’re already an on-demand society. Outside of news and sports, I think sooner than later the rest of us will just be responsible for creating a certain amount of content, and it won’t matter what time of day it gets done. From there, our employer will distribute that content on all the different platforms: terrestrial, podcast, video, social, etc..

If You Ran Radio

Keith: You’ve been elected The President of Radio. Take commercials out of the equation. What’s the biggest thing the industry is getting wrong right now? And if you could change one thing tomorrow, what would it be?

Woody: What’s right: focusing on content creation and less on the music. What used to be radio’s advantage was that we had the best music collection. People only owned or had access to so many songs or albums… so unless they went out and bought it, they had to listen to the radio to hear stuff. Today, everyone has access to all of it—every song ever recorded right there in their pocket. HBO isn’t about movies like it used to be. Sure, that’s part of it, but it’s all about their original content. Same with Netflix.

Content shows and personalities are what all these companies need. They know it, and they’ve gone all-in on recruiting the best people they can find.

The biggest mistake: publicly traded companies. It puts you in a position where you are always in cost-cutting mode because we are a mature industry that will never be able to match the year-over-year growth that Wall Street expects. Up 2% as a private business? Everyone celebrates. Bonuses all around. Up only 2% as a publicly traded company? Employees and resources are getting cut, and the product suffers. How many more people can we afford to lose? Who is left? Is anyone reading this?

Your Best Story

Keith: All big shows like yours could write a book full of great stories. What’s the one you like to tell that we should hear? Guest related, mishap, flop, pure mayhem?

Woody: For me (and I know it sounds cheesy) my best story has been the journey.

I started as an intern where I spent two years working for free. Tiny stations, tiny markets (did I mention tiny money?). The only career goal I ever set for myself was to get a full-time radio job that paid enough so I didn’t have to have a second job. That’s it. Here we are 30 years later. Mission accomplished.

Doing a show like this, at this place, at this level was never part of any plan. Every step has had its ups and downs, and if I had to go back and do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat.

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