Urban AC WTMP Rumor

[JerseyDude]

There are internet rumors going around that Urban AC WTMP AM/FM has been sold to a Hispanic Broadcaster and will be changing to a Spanish format.

Has anyone heard anything about this?

 

[MsMusicRadio]

WTMP FM was Hispanic several years ago. Guess that monster signal would cause CBS to flip 92.5 to sports too along with Q105 and WSJT also being flipped to sports.

 

[RADIO geek squad]

WTMP FM was Hispanic several years ago. Guess that monster signal would cause CBS to flip 92.5 to sports too along with Q105 and WSJT also being flipped to sports.

Hockey Sports, Tennis Sports and Ping Pong Sports! The perfect format.

 

[RADIO geek squad]

There are internet rumors going around that Urban AC WTMP AM/FM has been sold to a Hispanic Broadcaster and will be changing to a Spanish format.

Has anyone heard anything about this?

Where is the link? Share.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

WRBQ becomes "The Team"

WSJT becomes "The Fanatic"

WYUU goes all Hispanic and European sports with a special emphasis on soccer or as they say: "FOOTBALL". Morning show is "Cold Fish and Chips and Cold Paella" featuring Sir Michael and Miguel. Rod Stewart does the lead in song every hour singing about "Manchester United" or some such team. They get to crack wise and hang up on people globally.

WTMP goes to 50,000 watts by buying out 96.1 in Jacksonville and gets a 100,000 Cume on the PPM and is listed as No. 1.

 

[drt]

WTMP goes to 50,000 watts by buying out 96.1 in Jacksonville and gets a 100,000 Cume on the PPM and is listed as No. 1.

In this fantasy, the owners of WTMP would also need to buy out 96.1, Bonita Springs as well or convince them as to why they should reduce their power and/or go to a shorter stick.

Even with 50,000 with WTMP's tower site just s.e. of Spring Lake (near the Hernando/Pasco line), they still wouldn't have just a great signal for the whole Tampa Bay area,
unless maybe they do a substancial increase on their tower height. Just look at 92.5 and 98.7's 50,000 watt signals and their signal limitations.

drt
(waiting for Bart Barritone to weigh in on this issue)

 

[Parttimer]

WRBQ becomes "The Team"

WSJT becomes "The Fanatic"

WYUU goes all Hispanic and European sports with a special emphasis on soccer or as they say: "FOOTBALL". Morning show is "Cold Fish and Chips and Cold Paella" featuring Sir Michael and Miguel. Rod Stewart does the lead in song every hour singing about "Manchester United" or some such team. They get to crack wise and hang up on people globally.

WTMP goes to 50,000 watts by buying out 96.1 in Jacksonville and gets a 100,000 Cume on the PPM and is listed as No. 1.

Have you really reached the point of being so bored that you're just making stuff up now?

 

[MsMusicRadio]

1) Yes-----I'm home sick

2) Something must have struck a cord cause this thread is being high-lighted

3) What can 96.1 do to have an impact in Tampa Bay? The signal just doesn't cover the market. Since it was Hispanic before becoming Urban AC, I can only presume that had minimal impact. It needs to find a format that services it's coverage area. Maybe Hispanic will work now if there are more Hispanic people north of Tampa.

 

[John Waywoods]

WTMP FM was Hispanic several years ago. Guess that monster signal would cause CBS to flip 92.5 to sports too along with Q105 and WSJT also being flipped to sports.

I have always believed that 96.1 FM would serve its community better as a Mexican/regional format. The hispanic audience (unlike Tampa's Cuban and Puerto Rican communities) are of Mexican descent and amount to 15% of the population. The African-American population is less than 1%.
Please note, this would have zero effect on 92.5. Spanish is not a single format. These are some of the popular spanish formats that may be found throughout the fruited plains:
1. Tropical - Caribbean based dance music, ala salsa, merengue, bachata and reggaeton 2. Mexican regional - Mexican pop including mariachi and banda 3. Tex Mex - Texas centric fusion 4. Spanish AC - Juan Tesh all day 5. Oldies - Either caribbean or Mexican oldies 6. Talk 7. Hurban- Latin hip-hop. 8. Latin Rock 9. Sports 10. News Radio.

 

[drt]

96.1 was and still is licensed to Dade City and in the beginning, it was an oldies station with a lot of local advertisers, then a few year later the owners of WGUL 860 (Nostalgia at that time and through July 2005) bought 96.1 and moved the tower to the Spring Lake area, the tower is just inside the Hernando county line; then WGUL FM went to 106.3 and 96.1 was Hispanic before being bought by Tama/WTMP....... so in the course of 15 plus years, it has been through a variety of formats.

As of the 2000 census, Dade City (the city of license) had a Hispanic population of 16 percent (rounded up from 15.76 percent) and an Afro-American population of 16 percent, of course, that was 9 years ago, I suspect the Hispanic population is probably closer to 20 percent now; at least in Dade City. (Brooksville, which is not the city of license, but the closest city to the tower) had less than 5 percent Hispanics in the 2000 census.

More importantly, whatever format, with the limited signal and the fact the station is licensed to Dade City, they should concentrate on catering to the Dade City community, not north Tampa, Tampa Palms, Wesley Chapel, West Tampa etc.

The Tampa/St Petersburg area has more than enough of it's own FM signals to offer a wider variety of music than is now offiered, but the Dade City community shouldn't suffer just because the Tampa/St. Pete stations can't get their act together.

drt

 

[MsMusicRadio]

On that note, I know lots of people who listen to WTMP and Tom Joyner, but always on AM.

 

[jmtillery]

Another station to consider regarding a WTMP power increase is second adjacent WBTP 95.7 C1. Even if the co-channels in Jacksonville and Bonita Springs were suddenly gone, 95.7 C1 Clearwater is still too close to WTMP's second adjacent class A for any power increase unless WTMP were to move its tower further away from the Bay area. That likely will not happen (and would defeat the intended purpose) due to a potential short spacing with the previously mentioned co-channels in Jacksonville and Bonita Springs.

Mark Tillery
J. M. Tillery & Associates, P. A.
Online: www.jmtillery.com
Blog: http://jmtillery.blogspot.com
Email: [email protected]

 

[John Waywoods]

As of the 2000 census, Dade City (the city of license) had a Hispanic population of 16 percent (rounded up from 15.76 percent) and an Afro-American population of 16 percent, of course, that was 9 years ago, I suspect the Hispanic population is probably closer to 20 percent now; at least in Dade City. (Brooksville, which is not the city of license, but the closest city to the tower) had less than 5 percent Hispanics in the 2000 census.
drt

I misread the census. However, there is nobody serving the Mexican community on FM at this time. The African American community has 95.7, 98.7, 101.9, and the amazing sounding 94.5.

 

[David Sharp]

There are a few errors re: 96.1. I don't think the station was ever "oldies." In fact, I was there briefly when it came to air (as WBSB B-96) and it was more of a "hot hits" format, which didn't work. Since then, it's gone through many others, as mentioned in other posts, and never really pulled any numbers. Going Mexican won't work. We tried that when I was at WDCF and the station made no money. The perception by advertisers, accurate or not, is the Mexican community there are mainly migrant workers, or residents with low income. The most logical solution to the 96.1 problem, is to simulcast WWJB out of Brooksville. It would nicely compliment the 1450 signal-- especially in eastern Hernando, where nighttime reception is an issue. I don't think 96.1 could ever be programmed in such a way, especially with the poor signal to the south, to ever be a player in the metro market.