WMTX

For the radio station in Clearwater, Florida at 95.7 FM known as WMTX from 1990-1998, see WBTP.
WMTX
City Tampa, Florida
Broadcast area Tampa Bay Area
Branding Mix 100.7
Slogan Variety, from the 90's to Now
Frequency 100.7 MHz (also on HD Radio)
Translator(s) 94.5 W233AV (Gulfport, relays HD2)
99.1 W256CT (Bayonet Point, relays HD2)
102.9 W275AZ (Wesley Chapel South, relays HD2)
105.9 W290BJ (West Tampa, relays HD2)
First air date November 1947 (as WDAE-FM)
Format Hot AC
HD2: Classic rock "Thunder Tampa Bay"
ERP 100,000 watts
HAAT 472 meters
Class C
Facility ID 23078
Callsign meaning Tampa Bay's MiX 100.7 (transposed)
Former callsigns WDAE-FM (1947-1966,
1968-1976)
WATL-FM (1966-1968)
WAVV (1976-1978)
WJYW (1978-1982)
WIQI (1982-1986)
WUSA-FM (1986-1996)
WUKS (1996-1998)
WAKS (1998-1999)
Owner iHeartMedia, Inc.
(Citicasters Licenses, Inc.)
Sister stations WBTP, WDAE, WFLA, WFLZ, WFUS, WHNZ, WXTB
Webcast Listen Live
Listen Live (HD2)
Website tampabaysmix.com
thundertampabay.com (HD2)

WMTX is a Hot AC radio station in Tampa, Florida known as "Mix 100.7". It plays a variety of current hits along with some hit music from the past, as far back as the 1980s. Owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., the station's studios are located in South Tampa and the transmitter site is in Riverview. WMTX also serves as the primary Emergency Alert System station for all of Tampa Bay.

Station history

In 1947, the station signed on the air as WDAE-FM, a contemporary music station (though it would carry the WATL call letters for a two-year period). In 1976, the station flipped to beautiful music and the callsign changed to WAVV. During the WAVV years, the station's tagline was "Waves of Beautiful Music". In 1978, the callsign changed to WJYW. In 1982, the station flipped from beautiful music to adult contemporary and the callsign changed to WIQI ("W-101"). In 1986, the callsign changed to WUSA-FM (named after Washington D.C. TV station WUSA-TV), while still being named "W-101" before rebranding as simply "100.7 WUSA" in June 1994.[1] In December 1996, after Gannett traded the station to Jacor, the station flipped to Top 40 and rebranded as "Kiss 100.7", with the call letters changing to WUKS.[2] In 1998, the call letters were changed to WAKS. During the "Kiss" era, the station was the home of the popular, locally syndicated Mason Dixon Morning Show. On August 28, 1999, at Midnight, the station underwent a sudden format change and became "Mix 100.7" without any fanfare from Tampa listeners, and the callsign changed to WMTX (which was first used on 95.7 as "Mix 96").[3] Community outrage was highly noted in local newspapers and on other radio stations.

Since the surprise format switch, WMTX has had respectable ratings but has never held the #1 spot in the Tampa Bay radio market.

For years, Mix 100.7 aired the popular syndicated shows American Top 20 with Casey Kasem and Backtrax USA with Kid Kelly. However, in the summer of 2006, Backtrax was dropped. About a year later, the station dropped Kasem's countdown show.

WMTX-HD2

Logo of WMTX-HD2

In early 2007, WMTX launched a HD2 subcarrier with a Soft AC format. On December 17, 2007, WMTX's HD-2 dropped the Soft AC format to introduce a LGBT-oriented HD radio station called Pride Radio. It played Dance and Rhythmic Hits.

On January 28, 2013, WMTX-HD2 changed their format to classic rock, branded as "Thunder Tampa Bay", relayed on FM translators W233AV 94.5 (Gulfport) and 105.9 W290BJ (West Tampa).[4] On September 24, 2014, WMTX-HD2 started simulcasting on 99.1 W202CB (Bayonet Point). In the Fall of 2015, WMTX-HD2 began simulcasting on translator W275AZ 102.9 FM (Wesley Chapel South). The "Thunder" branding and format was previously used on sister station WTBT 105.5/ 103.5 (now WFUS) from 1995 to 2005.

On June 3, 2016 WMTX-HD2 shifted their format to classic hits, still branded as "Thunder Tampa Bay".[5]

In July 2016 WMTX-HD2 returned to classic rock, still branded as "Thunder Tampa Bay".[6]

References

  1. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-07-01.pdf
  2. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1996/R&R-1996-12-13.pdf
  3. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1999/RR-1999-09-03.pdf
  4. Thunder Returns to Tampa Bay Radioinsight - January 28, 2013
  5. Thunder Tampa Bay Shifts to Classic Hits Radioinsight - June 3, 2016
  6. Thunder Tampa Bay Returns to Classic Rock Radioinsight - July 8, 2016

External links

Coordinates: 27°49′12″N 82°15′40″W / 27.820°N 82.261°W / 27.820; -82.261

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