Interviews

With nominations open for Radio Ink's 2026 Top 20 Leaders in Radio, we're reconnecting with some of the industry's brightest minds featured in last year's list. Today, take a minute with Nueva Network CEO Jose Villafañe to tap into his vision on radio's evolving landscape.

Radio Ink sat down with GAB President Randy Gravley to talk about its statewide mental health initiative, how it’s being implemented, and what’s next to improve mental health awareness across broadcasting.

Nominations for Radio Ink's 2026 Top 20 Leaders in Radio close on Friday. As we look ahead, we're reconnecting with previous honorees to get their take on the industry's direction. Today, Now! Media CEO Tony Garcia weighs in on radio's evolution.

Tom Barnard may be remembered as the most successful host in the history of Minneapolis-St. Paul. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2017 and has a Marconi on his shelf. He’s also become one of the most successful podcasters in radio. We talked to him about his life, career, and what he's doing now.

MediaCo Chief Revenue Officer Brian Fisher is heading into 2026 watching two forces pull at audio in opposite directions: resilient listening on one side, and a recovery in advertising that has not moved evenly across categories on the other. So how does radio keep up?

While national headlines dwell on media despair and disruption, local radio operators are writing a different story. Across small towns and regional markets, independent broadcasters are proving that algorithms can't beat community, as Radio Ink explores.

The most famous fictional call letters in radio history are finally home — for real. In this exclusive conversation with Radio Ink, Randy Michaels and Jeff Ziesmann tell us exactly what they have planned for WKRP the Oasis as the station goes live in Cincinnati.

Leslie Whittles' job for Cumulus in Houston is to grow the KRBE product and brand with a focus on how the station can best serve the community. That, of course, includes all facets of what comes out of the speakers as well as the overall image of the station. The most important part of her responsibility is to make sure her entire team understands and is focused on the goals.

Bruce Demps started his radio career in sales with WIVY Y103 in Jacksonville back in 1983, when it was one of four stations in the market owned by Infinity Broadcasting. He went on to work for Clear Channel and Radio One, among other companies. He told us about his long and winding road through the radio industry and beyond, and we wanted to share his story with you because we know so many of you can relate.

The radio industry's top leaders do not just fall into their positions of leadership. They work harder, they work smarter, and they find ways to put themselves into positions to advance their careers. We turned to four of radio's top leaders and asked them exactly how they do it. Why are they the ones leading people? What did they do to educate themselves? Here's what they had to say.