DETROIT – Listeners of New Country 93.1 know him as Josh ‘Bru’ Brubaker, but 2.9 million followers worldwide know him as the ‘CEO of Radio Tik Tok.’
What began as a semi-sarcastic quarantine goal is now a surprising reality for Brubaker as one of his most popular Tik Tok videos, a clip of him accidentally playing the wrong song live on-air, boasts over 30 million views.
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In an effort to involve his newfound Tik Tok audience, Brubaker asks viewers to suggest random words for him to incorporate live on-air. Coined as the ‘Random-Word-Game,’ some of his more challenging words have been ‘Worcestershire’ and ‘alakazam.’
“I’m definitely not the first person who has thrown random words on the radio,” he laughed. “But I’m the first who put it on Tik Tok.”
Hailing from Ida, Michigan, Brubaker chased his passion for broadcasting by attending Specs Howard School of Media Arts. After bumping into the school at a college fair, he aspired to enter the world of television or sports play-by-play.
“I had no idea I wanted to be involved with radio, I love people and music and how they come together and sort of fell into it.”
Now several years into a promising broadcasting career, Brubaker hosts the afternoon show for New Country 93.1, co-hosts the Broadway in the Morning segment, and fills in on the weekends for 96.3 WDVD.
“My experience in Detroit radio has catapulted me into the next chapter of my career and the exposure Tik Tok has provided me is life-changing,” he said. “I’m excited to share more about what’s to come.”
When Brubaker isn’t working on commercials, prepping for his time on-air, or cracking dad jokes, you can find him posting to Tik Tok.
“There are some videos that I predict will be a favorite, but the ones I spend the least amount of time on capture the most attention,” he said ironically. “I have no idea what is going to be a hit with Tik Tok’s unique algorithm.”
Engaging with thousands of comments per post, he has accumulated a loyal fanbase known as the #BruCrew.
“A lot of young people have reached out to me asking for advice or expressing their interest in radio because they came across my videos,” he said. “It’s cool to be able to have those conversations.”
To follow Bru’s journey on Tik Tok, Instagram, and to see what’s “Bru-ing” on Twitter, follow his handle @bruontheradio.