Barry Mayo is a former United States

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executive. In 1981 he helped launch

WRKS WRKS (105.9 FM, "The Zone") is a radio station licensed to Pickens, Mississippi, although its studio is located in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Launched on July 2, 2009, the station's format is sports, with programming from ESPN Radio. WRKS is owned ...

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as the first station to play

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

. The station's success led him to be promoted as the first black general manager of

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. In 2003 he succeeded Judy Ellis as general manager of

Emmis Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which ha ...

Radio

; the first African-American general manager of

Emmis Broadcasting Emmis Communications is an American media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emmis, based on the Hebrew word for Truth (Emet) was founded by Jeff Smulyan in 1980. Emmis has owned many radio stations, including KPWR and WQHT, which ha ...

. In this role he oversaw WRKS (now an

Urban Adult Contemporary Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...

outlet) as well as WQHT (Hot 97) and WQCD. In 2007 Mayo was named President of Radio of Silver Spring, Maryland-based Radio One, the nation's premier black owned broadcasting company. He attended and graduated from

Brooklyn Technical High School Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech and administratively designated High School 430, is an elite public high school in New York City that specializes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is one of th ...

. He is a graduate of Howard University. While he attended Howard he was noted for being the first General Manager of its current college station WHBC 830 AM, or otherwise known as the voice of Howard's Black Communicators. Mayo is also an accomplished photographer, having first studied photography with Jno Cook at Columbia College Chicago. His photographs have been featured in several exhibitions and publications. He is currently making documentary films focused on identity issues amongst mixed race individuals.

References

External links

www.barry-mayo.com

WHBC 830 AM
Howard University alumni Living people American radio executives Year of birth missing (living people) Brooklyn Technical High School alumni {{US-radio-bio-stub