Barry Mayo

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Barry Mayo is a United States radio executive. In 1981 he helped launch WRKS-FM in New York as the first station to play rap music on a regular basis. The station's success led him to be promoted as the first African-American general manager of RKO General.

In 2003 he succeeded Judy Ellis as general manager of Emmis Radio New York; the first African-American general manager of Emmis Broadcasting. In this role he oversaw WRKS-FM (now an Urban Adult Contemporary outlet) as well as WQHT-FM (Hot 97) and WQCD-FM.

In 2007 Mayo was named President of Lanham, MD-based Radio One, the nation's premier African-American owned broadcasting company.

He is a graduate of Howard University. 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.