Holland Cook

In the forty years Mr. Cooke has toiled in the radio/TV vineyard, he’s survived a variety of on-air and management positions, not the least of which was his 7 storied years as Operations Manager of WTOP/Washington, during which time the station scored its highest ratings to-date in the all-news format. In 1991, HC and three other plucky entrepreneurs (REAL techy nerds) founded FliteCom Systems, Inc. which became USA TODAY Sky Radio, the live-via-satellite News, Sports, and Talk audio channels heard on Delta, Northwest, and United Airlines. Technology they developed evolved into Sirius Satellite Radio. On January 1, 1995, Cooke began consulting full-time, and was named News/Talk Specialist by McVay Media, the largest radio programming consulting firm on Planet Earth. His tireless work includes programming and marketing strategies for Talk radio stations from Alaska to New Zealand, career counseling for radio talent and podcasters, and Internet development for entrepreneurs, companies, and radio personalities. Up to that point, HC’s Washington-area amigos only knew him as a media industry suit. Any such respectability was dashed when — after not having been on-air for 13 years — he chose to re-enact youthful indiscretions, by spinning-the-hits at WBIG-FM/Washington. That shocking display continued until Cooke relocated to New England, and purchased The Captain Willis House B&B, “just steps from the beach,” on Block Island, RI, Bermuda-of-the-North. For the next eight seasons, HC’s Bill Murray-as-innkeeper routine was the zany summertime complement to a busy off-season consulting travel schedule. In a 2004 transaction that rocked the already-inflated Block Island real estate market, “The Captain” sold the inn, and relocated elsewhere on the island. Unlike Rush Limbaugh, HC is a college graduate. He was recently honored by Northwest Airlines, which awarded him its coveted WorldPerks Platinum designation. GREAT BIG letters on the side of his boat, a Pearson 37, hull #3, say “Undaunted.” But his abiding credo remains: “Defeat goes over defense before detail.”
Date Recorded: 3/21/2013

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