Kim Ruiz

How long have you been involved with WRAS and how did you first hear about the station?

I have been in the Music Department at Album 88 for about 2 years now.  WRAS was notorious when I moved to Atlanta for its 100,000 watt reach and known for being a great hub to discover underground artists from around the world, up and coming local Atlanta artists, in addition to fun quirky curated specialty shows all while sitting in traffic.  I have fond memories of calling in to get tickets to shows– I remember winning a pair of Ty Segall tickets and getting squeezed out of the pit as everyone rushed the stage.  I worked at Cinefest– which at the time was GSU’s student run art house theatre.  We played all our films on 35mm all the way up until 2014!  The theatre is across the hall from the radio station and some of my coworkers DJ’d and had specialty shows at WRAS.  I figured when I came back for grad school I’d try to get involved and here I am. 


Tell us about the duties of your job and what part of it you love the most and what is most challenging.

My team and I are tasked with keeping our regular rotation fresh with new music!  Sounds easy enough but with so much music being released these days it can be a lot to sift through.  I’ve found a rhythm with it and it’s a fun and exciting process programming for a community of music lovers.  Since becoming MD I’ve made an effort to sniff out underground tracks that aren’t pushed by distributors.  I’m that girl shamelessly shazaming and holding my phone close to speakers while I’m out.  I save tracks I come across while surfing the web and make a point to personally reach out to artists on bandcamp.  I say it at the station all the time– wish this could be my full-time gig! 


What advice can you offer other MDs regarding the ways you encourage your DJs to play the new music the station receives from labels and promoters?

We have a music suggestions chat in our Album 88 Discord where we can include DJs in the process and talk shop of new releases.  It can help if I’ve missed a new release from a label or promoter that everyone’s digging.  I would encourage MD’s to figure out a system which works for them and utilize tech and apps to streamline communication with your DJs.  With non-commercial college radio– the sky’s the limit!  Well, except the FCC.


What ways does the station reach out to/interact with the community and work to grow your audience/footprint?

Fortunately for us, Album 88 is well known and beloved in the Atlanta community and we regularly read PSA’s submitted by local community organizations.  We’re focusing now on connecting with our alumni.  Last Spring we held an in station workshop with Friends of Georgia Radio and it’s been great connecting with them. 10 years ago in 2014 we had the biggest change in the station’s 52 year history where our air time on 88.5FM drastically decreased from 24/7 to less than half that, 7pm-5am.  Our challenge with the decrease of on-air time is reminding our listeners that we’re still around and how to find us.  We stream 24/7 on our website at wras.org and on our HD2 station.  We can also be found on the Tune-In app.  We participated in the Atlanta Little Five Points Halloween parade last year and people came up to us like we were ghosts, acting sad we’re not around anymore but we are!  Sometimes programming regular rotation can feel like I’m writing a love letter to Atlanta that’s just getting lost in the mail.

What was your favorite album of the past year or so and why?  Is there a 2023 release on the horizon you are eagerly awaiting?

Currently, I’m really digging Y La Bamba’s album Lucha.  I love a cohesive album you can just throw on that’s enjoyable from start to finish.  I’ll put it on and dance around while cleaning and not worry about skipping a track.  I’m also super into El Michels Affair and we’ve been spinning their latest collab with Black Thought, Glorious Game.  I think we’re all waiting for Big Boi and Kate Bush to drop their collab track!

Do you have a favorite artist or album you never get tired of listening to?

Some music for me becomes frozen in time and I’ll look back on it lovingly and who I was at that time.  But Cocteau Twins is a rare band whose albums change and grow with me.  Or maybe I’m continually growing into them.  Elizabeth Fraser is known for her use of glossolalia, but her written lyrics are just as arresting and prophetic.  I feel like if I develop Alzheimer’s I might forget my friends and family members but put on Four-Calendar Cafe or Blue Bell Knoll and I’ll come flooding back.

Who is an artist or band totally outside the realm of the music you play on WRAS that people might be surprised to know you love?

I think people at the station might be surprised by my affinity for Pop Music or that I’m one of those people that will play a song I like on repeat over and over and over again.

If you had the power to instantly change one thing going on in the world at the moment, what would it be?

For a start– No more guns!  Except my biceps.

What event or person in your life would you say has shaped you the most as a person?

Growing up in the early 2000’s as an Asian teen I of course loved Michelle Kwan.  I think figure skating during my teenage years really shaped me.  You have to fall and get back up to learn new tricks.  Skating strengthened me mentally and taught me grit.  My Mother also taught me strength and grit as an immigrant in the US, and her life and what her and other refugees go through has deeply affected my perspective on the world.  Of course, I’m very anti-war and critical of any conditions which create refugees and displaced persons.

If you could choose, what time period in the past would you most want to travel back to visit and why?

We gotta go forward!  In the words of John Lewis, “We ain’t going back.”  Also, I saw Back to the Future– I don’t want to accidentally mess up while time traveling and end up making out with my Mom.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in town (dine-in or take out) that you recommend people try?

Buford Highway has a ton of great Asian and Mexican restaurants– I recommend Nam Phuong for Viet and El Rey del Taco for Mexican.  Before the pandemic El Rey was 24/7!  Pop-ups in the city are always fun– try So So Fed, Kim-Chi Joy, or Yee’s Vietnamese, if you’re lucky!  My body regularly craves Supremo/Pollo Primo and I recommend Gigi’s if you’re feeling cute n fancy!  Get the tiramisu.

What in your life brings you the most joy?

Probably seeing others happy, healthy, and doing well.  My Dad retired this year and going to his retirement ceremony and seeing him get roasted by my 90 pound 4’11” Mom brought me a lot of joy.

Lightning Round:

Dog or Cat?  Cat!
Morning Person or Night Owl?  Night Owl
City or Country?  City– the bigger the better!
Beach or Mountains?  Beach
Watch TV or Read A Book?  Eek currently it’s watching TV but I want it to be Read A Book!
Sunny or Rainy?  Rainy
Restaurant or Home Cooking?  Oof– Restaurant though I’m trying!
Pants or Shorts?  Neither!
Warm or Cold drinks?  Americano or Aperol Spritz– I’m currently in Europe!

Do you have any current favorite TV shows you’re enjoying/binging?  How about a movie (new or old) that you’ve watched recently that you would recommend?

I just binged BEEF which was a lot of fun– nothing like road rage to find common brethren in.  Steven Yeun is incredible and so is Ali Wong in the series.  I recently saw Ladies and Gentleman, The Fabulous Stains from 1982 at a Plazadrome screening.  It’s a fun film about an all-girl punk band featuring baby Diane Lane and Laura Dern.  It has an interesting backstory with the female writers of the film clashing with the director.  It was shelved for two years before its flop of a release but has since garnered cult acclaim.

Finally, with summer here, do you have any fun road trip or vacation plans lined up?

I am currently traveling around Europe.  I’m getting my MFA in Film and qualified for a badge to attend Cannes this year (shout out FMT!) .  It was one of the most amazing art events I’ve ever been to!  While in Marseille I got to catch up with Atlanta darlings, CDSM, while on tour.  Check out their latest single in my “Kim’s big European Summer Playlist!”  I head to Madrid for two weeks for an artist residency tomorrow and then who knows– maybe this interview is my ex pat origin story.  Thanks again NACC for asking me to be featured and I hope you enjoy the playlist!