Superstar Under 30
Talk about killing it. He was named a “Superstar Under 30” by Radio Ink, has a sponsorship with clothing designer Ralph Lauren, is a TikTok and Instagram influencer, and starred in a Netflix series. He covered the Olympics for NBC and has a stunning, famous girlfriend. He’s even been nominated as one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive.
28-year-old Josh “Bru” Brubaker lives in the City of Angels, where he’s on top of the radio game as host of “The Bru Show” weeknights from 7 to 12 and Saturdays from 3 -7 pm on the Audacy App and on 36 Audacy CHR stations nationwide. He’s also got a Sunday country show. This high-profile digital creator is a long way, both geographically and professionally, from his upbringing in Ida, Michigan, and from his first job ten years ago. Bru began his career as a park ranger in Monroe, Michigan, in 2014.
Studio Over Scenery
He decided to swap the scenery for the studio and studied Broadcast Media Arts at the Specs Howard School of Media Arts at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI. He set his sights on sports, but an on-air internship at the school in 2015 stoked his passion for music.
After another brief on-air internship at Rewind 94.3/MPACT in Monroe, MI, Bru scored his first real radio job at the tender age of eighteen as host on WLEW Radio in Bad Axe, MI, where there were “more farm animals listening than people.”
“It was a scary jump to be so far away from family and friends, but I knew it would ultimately lead to where I wanted to go. I got to cut my teeth as an on-air personality, music director, news reporter, production director, and a bunch of other hats. I literally wouldn’t be who and where I am today without that vital learning experience.” He even hosted a polka show. He stayed at the Thumb Broadcasting station for two years.
It was up the ladder to Toledo, Ohio’s Q105, a Cumulus station, in 2017. Detroit was next, where Bru was an on-air personality for Nash FM 93.1 and Cumulus’ 96.3 WDVD and was Detroit’s local co-host and producer of the syndicated “Ty Bentli Show.”
Jump to Market #2
Bru joined Audacy in March 2021 as afternoon host at now-defunct CHR “97.1 Amp” KAMP Los Angeles. He quickly became the host of either afternoons or evenings on all but one of the company’s CHR stations, including heavy-hitters WPOW Miami, WBBM-FM 96.5 in Chicago, and WTDY-FM Philadelphia. He also hosts the weekly “Country Sunday Nights.”
His high-profile programs attract major stars as guests, like Selena Gomez, Olivia Rodrigo, and Dua Lipa. Recent visitor, Camilla Cabello played along when Bru asked her to stick her hand into a box to identify what was in it, as games and gags are a prominent part of Bru’s schtick.
TikTok’s “Radio CEO”
In addition to his radio reach, Bru is a force on social media, including TikTok, where he shares celebrity news as well as silly video clips from his on and off-air life, like trying to score a table at an Eiffel Tower restaurant or goofing around with his girlfriend. He has more than four million followers, including big names like Jason Derulo, Lizzo, and Harry Styles. Bru says social media catapulted his career to the next level. Adding he makes more money on TikTok than he does as a radio host.
“I’m so happy to shine light on a medium I love so much and to get to grow with a different type of community. TikTok has opened so many doors, so I owe the app a lot,” he says. Bru says TikTok and social media amplify the message he’s been bringing to radio all along. He calls himself “The Radio CEO of TikTok.” People Magazine calls him one of the Sexiest Men on the platform in 2024.
Somone else whose attention he captured is TikTok influencer and entrepreneur Anna Sitar. The two have been “social media official” since 2021. The Los Angeles woman has over twelve million Instagram and seventeen million TikTok followers. In her first viral post, she drank a chai latte in a video and included what’s now her “signature squeal.” The gleeful 27-year-old’s social media star’s online posts radiate good vibes, matching Bru’s relentless positivity. The two Los Angelenos are even further connected as Michigan natives.
Netflix Reality Show Star
Social media fame? Check. Broadcast/digital fame? Check. In addition, Bru is also a former Netflix series star. He appeared in Season 4 of “The Circle” in 2022. The reality game show took a group of contestants, isolated them in separate apartments, cut them off from the world, and had them communicate with only each other via a special, show-specific form of social media to crown the most popular player for a $150,000 prize. Some contenders were less than honest: catfishes. Bru had a strong showing but was knocked out in the season’s 12th episode.
“My experience on ‘The Circle’ was even more unusual as it happened during the COVID pandemic. There was quite a bit of free time, and this show fell into my lap. It was wild because I said a couple of years previously that ‘The Circle’ was the only reality show I would ever do. Talk about manifestation!”
The social media influencer says the experience taught him that “being without phones is good. Letting my mind detox from texting, apps, social media, etc., felt like a factory reset on my brain.”
His high visibility and boundless energy in all endeavors, as well as what his boss calls his “relatability and relationship with stars and fans alike,” have landed Bru at some of the most high-profile events in show business. He’s graced the red carpet at the Grammy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the Kennedy Center Honors. His style and swagger scored him a contract with designer Ralph Lauren.
“I’ve slowly dipped my toes into the fashion world, and they are a dream partner. Our first collab was at the Ryder Cup in Rome. I got to bring my dad, and it’s a memory we’ll talk about for years to come. Ralph Lauren, to me, is the epitome of American fashion and I’m such a fan of their traditional style.”
Paris Olympics and Paralympics
The most recent feather in his cap was when Bru covered the Olympics and Paralympics for NBC. He moved to Paris from July 23 to August 11 to host a one-hour digital nightly Olympics wrap-up after finishing his regular daily radio responsibilities.
“I hosted a digital show from the Team USA House on all NBC social platforms. I recapped the day’s highlights and lowlights, interviewed Olympic athletes, interacted with viewers, and played games, all in front of a live studio audience,” he explains. Bru says he had nothing but positive experiences in Paris despite the language barrier.
“I had the opportunity to eat in the Eiffel Tower! I had no idea anything was even in there. How do they get water and food up there? I drank champagne as I watched beach volleyball at the stadium below from atop the most iconic landmark in Paris. It doesn’t get more bucket list than that.”
As far as work, Bru says, “I’ve never felt so inspired and so connected with people! It’s the one time every four years where every country comes together, and that energy was palpable. Paris as the backdrop was truly special between the opening ceremony on the Seine and the Eiffel Tower as the wallpaper for beach volleyball. This was definitely the biggest production event I’ve worked on, and it was so impressive to see how NBC handles this massive worldwide broadcast spectacle.
“Hosting fifteen consecutive nightly shows for NBC was something that I’ll never forget. I felt like a true Parisian riding my bike to the studios every day. I felt like a proud parent with every Olympian interview. And when you begin to build relationships with these athletes and see them achieve their dreams, that’ll bring any grown man to tears,” says Bru.
Bru’s Jams
Bru’s a brewer of beer, a surfer, and a longtime volunteer for an animal welfare agency. You’ll find Gracie Abrams, Hozier, Thomas Rhett, nimino, and Eminem on the Top 40 and Country host’s personal playlist.
“It’s a mixed bag these days. That’s the beauty of music now. Genres are slowly going away and it’s just good music people enjoy. I got to interview Chris Martin of Coldplay who agrees the walls of genres are dissolving,” he says. “Coldplay’s latest song includes Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and TINI. I love how all those different sounds can exist on the same song.”
Bru’s Views
The “Superstar Under 30” believes that “the pipeline of young talent to our industry is something to look at. There are incredible storytellers, captivating creators, and gifted talents all around us. It’s up to us to bridge the gap to opportunities in radio.”
“Bru has the ability to make any artist feel completely comfortable in his presence,” says Audacy’s EVP of Programming, Jeff Sottolano. “His social and hosting prowess bridges the gaps between celebrities and listeners.” He says Bru’s personality radiates across all platforms.
Bru’s motto for juggling life’s simultaneous and instantaneous challenges: “Take every day as a gift and enjoy all the spontaneity life has to offer.”
For all things bru, follow @bruontheradio on social media.
Amy Snider is a music features reporter for Barrett Media specializing on stories involving radio professionals working in Adult Contemporary/CHR/Top 40 formats. She brings over twenty-five years of media experience to the outlet. Based in St. Petersburg, FL, Amy works for iHeartMedia and the Total Traffic and Weather Network as an on-air reporter, appearing on dozens of radio stations including 98 Rock, Mix 100.7, 95.3 WDAE, and Newsradio WFLA. She has also reported and anchored in the Tampa market at Fox 13, News Channel 8, WMNF Community Radio and WUSF-FM, the NPR affiliate.
Amy is a music fanatic. She hosted a drive-time rock and roll radio show for 20 years on WMNF-FM and is known as a tastemaker in the music and arts community. She booked, hosted, emceed and promoted a wildly popular weekly live music event in Tampa’s Ybor City featuring original music with performers from all over the world. Her free time is often spent at concerts and music festivals. To get in touch, find her on X @AmySnider4.
