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{{Infobox radio station
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WTMP
| name = WTMP
| logo = WTMP AM1150-97.5FM logo.png
| logo =
| logo_size = 250px
| logo_size =
| city = [[Egypt Lake, Florida]]
| city = [[Egypt Lake, Florida]]
| area = [[Tampa Bay Area]]
| area = [[Tampa Bay Area]]
| branding = '''''WTMP AM 1150 97.5 FM'''''
| branding = ''WTMP AM 1150 102.1 FM''
| frequency = 1150 [[kilohertz|kHz]]
| frequency = 1150 [[kilohertz|kHz]] {{HD Radio}}
| airdate = 1954
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1954|12}}.
| format = [[Urban Oldies]]
| format = [[Urban oldies]]
| power = 10,000 [[watt]]s daytime<br>500 watts nighttime
| power = 10,000 [[watt]]s day<br>500 watts night
| class = B
| class = B
| facility_id = 74108
| facility_id = 74108
Line 17: Line 17:
| owner = Neal Ardman
| owner = Neal Ardman
| licensee = NIA Broadcasting, Inc.
| licensee = NIA Broadcasting, Inc.
| affiliations = [[Premiere Networks]]
| sister_stations = [[WTMP-FM]]
| sister_stations = [[WTMP-FM]]
| translators = {{ubl|{{Radio Relay|102.1|W271DL|[[Egypt Lake, Florida|Egypt Lake]]}}}}
| translators = {{ubl|{{Radio Relay|102.1|W271DL|Egypt Lake}}}} {{ubl|{{Radio Relay|92.9|W225CQ|[[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]]}}}}
| repeaters = {{ubl|{{Radio Relay|96.1|[[WTMP-FM|WTMP-HD2]]|[[Dade City, Florida|Dade City]]}}}}
| webcast = [http://ice23.securenetsystems.net/WTMPAM.m3u Listen Live]
| webcast = [http://ice23.securenetsystems.net/WTMPAM.m3u Listen Live]
| website = [http://www.am1150wtmp.com am1150wtmp.com]
| website = [http://www.am1150wtmp.com am1150wtmp.com]
}}
}}


'''WTMP''' is a [[radio station]] serving the [[Tampa Bay]], Florida region broadcasting on 1150 AM. The station is licensed to Neal Ardman of NIA Broadcasting, Inc.
'''WTMP''' (1150 [[Hertz|kHz]]) is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[AM radio|AM]] [[radio station]] [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Egypt Lake, Florida]], and serving the [[Tampa Bay area]]. It is owned by Neal Ardman of NIA Broadcasting, Inc., and it airs an [[urban oldies]] [[radio format]]. Its [[radio studio|studio]]s are on Howard Avenue in West Tampa.

It also broadcasts on FM translator W248CA on 97.5&nbsp;MHz. WTMP's studios are located on Howard Avenue in West Tampa, and its transmitter is located northwest of downtown.
By day, WTMP is powered at 10,000 [[watt]]s. But to protect other stations on [[1150 AM]] from interference, at night it greatly reduces power to 500 watts. It uses a [[directional antenna]] with a three-[[tower array]]. WTMP's AM [[transmitter]] is on Cavacade Drive in Egypt Lake.<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/info/WTMP-AM Radio-Locator.com/WTMP-AM]</ref> Programming is also heard on two [[FM translator]]s: '''W271DL''' on 102.1&nbsp;MHz in Egypt Lake and '''W225CQ''' on 92.9&nbsp;MHz in Tampa.<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/info/W248CA-FX Radio-Locator.com/W248CA]</ref>


==Station history==
==Station history==
===African-American voice===
WTMP plays [[urban oldies]] in the [[Tampa Bay area]] on frequencies 1150&nbsp;kHz AM and 102.1 FM (translator), though its program has changed over the station's 57-year tenure. Its main urban competitor is [[WBTP]]. Its target audience is listeners between the ages of 25 and 54.
WTMP [[sign-on|signed on]] the air in {{Start date and age|1954|12}}.<ref>[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1958/Radio-All-1958-BC-YB.pdf ''Broadcasting Yearbook 1958'' page A-267], [[Broadcasting & Cable]]. Retrieved July 3, 2023.</ref> It began as a [[daytimer]] powered at 1,000 watts and required to go off the air at sunset. It was owned by Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc. From its start, it aired programming for Tampa's [[African-American]] community, a mix of [[R&B]], [[Urban Gospel]], talk and news. Noted R&B vocalist and Tampa native [[King Coleman]] got his start as a [[disc jockey]] on WTMP in the 1950s.


WTMP, on 1150 AM originally (including a few prior years as urban-formatted WIOK), has been a longtime heritage [[urban contemporary]] station in the market. Noted R&B vocalist and Tampa native [[King Coleman]] got his start as a DJ on WTMP in the 1950s. In the late 1990s, the station, then-owned by Broadcast Capital, was bought by Tama Broadcasting, which has headquarters in Tampa, thus making WTMP the flagship. Long controlled by the Cherry family, Tama also owns stations in [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]], [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Savannah, Georgia]] and [[Greenville, South Carolina]]; it owns newspapers in Daytona Beach and [[Fort Pierce, Florida|Fort Pierce]]. The owner went on to buy the then-[[WGUL]] in 2002 and made it a [[Hip hop music|hip hop]]-urban station (and home to [[Russ Parr]] in the Morning) as WTMP-FM. Even after a format change to [[rhythmic oldies]], that station did not do well due to its [[Rimshot (broadcasting)|rimshot signal]], so it ended up as a simulcast of WTMP a year later. The rimshot signal, which barely reaches the [[Hillsborough County, Florida|Hillsborough County]] line from its transmitter southeast of [[Brooksville, Florida|Brooksville]], also couldn't be moved closer to Tampa or upgraded with changes to the tower or transmitter power, due to interference issues with other stations broadcasting on 96.1 and nearby frequencies.
In the late 1990s, the station, then-owned by Broadcast Capital, was bought by Tama Broadcasting, which has headquarters in Tampa. Long controlled by the Cherry family, Tama also owns stations in [[Daytona Beach, Florida|Daytona Beach]], [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Savannah, Georgia]] and [[Greenville, South Carolina]], as well as newspapers in Daytona Beach and [[Fort Pierce, Florida|Fort Pierce]]. The owner went on to buy the then-[[WGUL]] in 2002 and made it a [[Hip hop music|hip hop]]-urban station as WTMP-FM. It featured the [[radio syndication|syndicated]] show ''[[Russ Parr]] in the Morning''. Even after a format change to [[rhythmic oldies]], the FM station did not do well due to its [[Rimshot (broadcasting)|rimshot signal]], so it ended up as a simulcast of WTMP a year later. The rimshot signal, which barely reaches the [[Hillsborough County, Florida|Hillsborough County]] line from its transmitter southeast of [[Brooksville, Florida|Brooksville]], also couldn't be moved closer to Tampa or upgraded with changes to the tower or transmitter power, due to interference issues with other stations broadcasting on 96.1 and nearby frequencies.


===Spanish Tropical===
The Tampa Bay would see an urban-formatted hip hop station months later called [[WBTP]]; [[WLLD]] is a [[Rhythmic contemporary|rhythmic]]-formatted hip hop station and has been around years prior. Such competition was a minor setback for WTMP as it was losing younger listeners to WBTP, but it was already restructured to an [[Urban Adult Contemporary]] by then anyway. Outside the R&B and Classic Soul playlist tenure, it also offered [[urban gospel]] (early weekday mornings and Sundays), Old School Mix shows Friday nights and [[Blues]] Sunday nights. It also had talk shows on weekends.
⚫
At 3pm on September 2, 2011, after a 57-year run, WTMP's legacy as an R&B outlet came to an abrupt end. Davidson Media Group took over operation of the station under a [[local marketing agreement]] (LMA) from Tama, which filed for [[bankruptcy]] protection and placed the station in court-ordered receivership. Davidson then flipped the combo to a [[Spanish language|Spanish]] [[Tropical music]] format. All of WTMP's airstaff and syndicated shows were already pink-slipped a day before the flip.<ref>[http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/content/wtmp-am-may-end-57-year-history-voice-tampas-black-community-6-pm-friday "WTMP-AM may end 57-year history as voice of Tampa's black community at 6 p.m. Friday"] from Tampabay.com (September 1, 2011)</ref> The Tropical format lasted only three years.


⚫
It was announced that WTMP would return to an Urban AC format on May 1, 2014.<ref>[http://tbo.com/events/wtmp-returning-to-urban-contemporary-format-20140429/ "WTMP radio returning to urban contemporary format"] ''Tampa Tribune'', April 29, 2014.</ref> The two stations were split from common operation with the flip, as the operation of WTMP was taken over by WestCoast Media, while the FM was retained by Davidson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/88501/wtmp-to-return-to-urban-actalk/|title = WTMP to Return to Urban AC/Talk}}</ref>
⚫
On September 2, 2011, after a 57-year run, WTMP's legacy as an R&B outlet came to an abrupt end at 3 PM as Davidson Media Group took over operation of the station under a [[local marketing agreement]] from Tama, who filed for bankruptcy and placed the station in court-ordered receivership. Davidson then flipped the combo to a Spanish tropical format. All of the syndicated shows and airstaff were already pink-slipped a day before the flip.<ref>[http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/content/wtmp-am-may-end-57-year-history-voice-tampas-black-community-6-pm-friday "WTMP-AM may end 57-year history as voice of Tampa's black community at 6 p.m. Friday"] from Tampabay.com (September 1, 2011)</ref>


⚫
On March 14, 2016, WTMP flipped to [[classic hip hop]] as "Boomin' 1150".<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/105398/classic-hip-hop-is-boomin-in-tampa/ Classic Hip-Hop Is Boomin In Tampa]</ref>
⚫
It was announced that WTMP would return to an urban AC format on May 1, 2014.<ref>[http://tbo.com/events/wtmp-returning-to-urban-contemporary-format-20140429/ "WTMP radio returning to urban contemporary format"] ''Tampa Tribune'', April 29, 2014.</ref> The two stations were split from common operation with the flip, as the operation of WTMP was taken over by WestCoast Media, while the FM was retained by Davidson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/88501/wtmp-to-return-to-urban-actalk/|title = WTMP to Return to Urban AC/Talk}}</ref>


===NIA Broadcasting ===
⚫
On March 14, 2016, WTMP flipped to classic hip hop as "Boomin' 1150".<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/105398/classic-hip-hop-is-boomin-in-tampa/ Classic Hip-Hop Is Boomin In Tampa]</ref>
Both WTMP 1150 AM and [[WTMP-FM]] 96.1 were purchased out of bankruptcy by Neal Ardman's NIA Broadcasting, Inc. effective May 18, 2017. The purchase price was $500,000. In March, 2022, one of WTMP's translators moved from 97.5 to 102.1 MHz.<ref>{{Cite web |title=97X Tampa Bay Finds New Home |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221267/97x-tampa-bay-finds-new-home/ |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=RadioInsight |language=en-US}}</ref>


On October 1, 2022, WTMP added a translator at 92.9 MHz to boost its coverage into downtown Tampa on the FM dial. This is the first time since the station was on 97.5FM that the station could be heard on FM in and around Tampa.
Both WTMP and [[WTMP-FM]] were purchased out of bankruptcy by Neal Ardman's NIA Broadcasting, Inc. effective May 18, 2017, at a purchase price of $500,000.


==Former logos==
==Former logos==
[[Image:Wtmp radio.jpg]]
[[Image:Wtmp radio.jpg]]
[[Image:WTMP AM1150-97.5FM logo.png]]


==See also==
==See also==
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{{coord|28|00|42|N|82|29|53|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC|display=title}}


[[Category:Radio stations in the Tampa Bay Area|TMP (AM)]]
[[Category:Radio stations in the Tampa Bay area|TMP (AM)]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1954]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1954]]
[[Category:Urban oldies radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Urban oldies radio stations in the United States]]

Revision as of 20:46, 6 January 2024

WTMP
Broadcast areaTampa Bay Area
Frequency1150 kHz (HD Radio)
BrandingWTMP AM 1150 102.1 FM
Programming
FormatUrban oldies
AffiliationsPremiere Networks
Ownership
Owner
  • Neal Ardman
  • (NIA Broadcasting, Inc.)
WTMP-FM
History
First air date
December 1954; 69 years ago (1954-12).
Call sign meaning
TaMPa
Technical information
Facility ID74108
ClassB
Power10,000 watts day
500 watts night
Translator(s)
  • 102.1 W271DL (Egypt Lake)
Repeater(s)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websiteam1150wtmp.com

WTMP (1150 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Egypt Lake, Florida, and serving the Tampa Bay area. It is owned by Neal Ardman of NIA Broadcasting, Inc., and it airs an urban oldies radio format. Its studios are on Howard Avenue in West Tampa.

By day, WTMP is powered at 10,000 watts. But to protect other stations on 1150 AM from interference, at night it greatly reduces power to 500 watts. It uses a directional antenna with a three-tower array. WTMP's AM transmitter is on Cavacade Drive in Egypt Lake.[1] Programming is also heard on two FM translators: W271DL on 102.1 MHz in Egypt Lake and W225CQ on 92.9 MHz in Tampa.[2]

Station history

African-American voice

WTMP signed on the air in December 1954; 69 years ago (1954-12).[3] It began as a daytimer powered at 1,000 watts and required to go off the air at sunset. It was owned by Rounsaville of Tampa, Inc. From its start, it aired programming for Tampa's African-American community, a mix of R&B, Urban Gospel, talk and news. Noted R&B vocalist and Tampa native King Coleman got his start as a disc jockey on WTMP in the 1950s.

In the late 1990s, the station, then-owned by Broadcast Capital, was bought by Tama Broadcasting, which has headquarters in Tampa. Long controlled by the Cherry family, Tama also owns stations in Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Savannah, Georgia and Greenville, South Carolina, as well as newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Pierce. The owner went on to buy the then-WGUL in 2002 and made it a hip hop-urban station as WTMP-FM. It featured the syndicated show Russ Parr in the Morning. Even after a format change to rhythmic oldies, the FM station did not do well due to its rimshot signal, so it ended up as a simulcast of WTMP a year later. The rimshot signal, which barely reaches the Hillsborough County line from its transmitter southeast of Brooksville, also couldn't be moved closer to Tampa or upgraded with changes to the tower or transmitter power, due to interference issues with other stations broadcasting on 96.1 and nearby frequencies.

Spanish Tropical

At 3pm on September 2, 2011, after a 57-year run, WTMP's legacy as an R&B outlet came to an abrupt end. Davidson Media Group took over operation of the station under a local marketing agreement (LMA) from Tama, which filed for bankruptcy protection and placed the station in court-ordered receivership. Davidson then flipped the combo to a Spanish Tropical music format. All of WTMP's airstaff and syndicated shows were already pink-slipped a day before the flip.[4] The Tropical format lasted only three years.

It was announced that WTMP would return to an Urban AC format on May 1, 2014.[5] The two stations were split from common operation with the flip, as the operation of WTMP was taken over by WestCoast Media, while the FM was retained by Davidson.[6]

On March 14, 2016, WTMP flipped to classic hip hop as "Boomin' 1150".[7]

NIA Broadcasting

Both WTMP 1150 AM and WTMP-FM 96.1 were purchased out of bankruptcy by Neal Ardman's NIA Broadcasting, Inc. effective May 18, 2017. The purchase price was $500,000. In March, 2022, one of WTMP's translators moved from 97.5 to 102.1 MHz.[8]

On October 1, 2022, WTMP added a translator at 92.9 MHz to boost its coverage into downtown Tampa on the FM dial. This is the first time since the station was on 97.5FM that the station could be heard on FM in and around Tampa.

Former logos

See also

WTMP-FM

References

  1. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WTMP-AM
  2. ^ Radio-Locator.com/W248CA
  3. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1958 page A-267, Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  4. ^ "WTMP-AM may end 57-year history as voice of Tampa's black community at 6 p.m. Friday" from Tampabay.com (September 1, 2011)
  5. ^ "WTMP radio returning to urban contemporary format" Tampa Tribune, April 29, 2014.
  6. ^ "WTMP to Return to Urban AC/Talk".
  7. ^ Classic Hip-Hop Is Boomin In Tampa
  8. ^ "97X Tampa Bay Finds New Home". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2022-03-15.

28°00′42″N 82°29′53″W / 28.01167°N 82.49806°W / 28.01167; -82.49806

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