W246CY
| Company type | Commercial radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio broadcasting |
| Founded | November 15, 1960 in Sarasota, Florida, United States |
| Headquarters | St. Petersburg , United States |
Area served | Tampa Bay area |
| Products | Hot talk radio programming; sports broadcasting (Tampa Bay Lightning, South Florida Bulls football) |
| Owner | Cox Media Group |
WHPT (102.5 FM) operates as a commercial radio station licensed in Sarasota, Florida, catering to the Tampa Bay area. Owned by Cox Media Group, it features a hot talk programming format and serves as the primary broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League, in addition to airing South Florida Bulls football games. The station's studios and administrative offices are situated on 4th Street North in St. Petersburg.
Classified as a Class C facility, WHPT transmits with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, which is the upper limit allowed for most FM stations. Its transmission equipment is positioned near Gopher Hill Road off 283rd Street East in Myakka City, located in southwestern Manatee County. Utilizing HD Radio technology, WHPT's HD2 subchannel broadcasts a dedicated Tampa Bay Lightning sports radio format.
WYAK - WSAF-FM
The station commenced operations on November 15, 1960, under the call letters WYAK. At that time, it was uncommon for FM stations to operate independently without AM or television counterparts. Initially owned by Multitone Music Corporation, WYAK broadcasted at 2,750 watts with studios located at 1375 Fifth Street.
In 1967, ownership transferred to Stewart Broadcasting, which also acquired WSAF 1220 AM (currently known as WSRQ). The FM station adopted the call sign WSAF-FM, and both AM and FM outlets began simulcasting much of their programming.
WQSR
By 1973, Sarasota Radio Company took control of WSAF-FM and shifted its format to beautiful music, featuring soft instrumental pieces alongside selections from Broadway and Hollywood show tunes. The call letters were changed to WQSR to embody company president Edward Rogers' vision: QSR standing for Quality Stereo Radio.
During this period, WQSR scheduled beautiful music from early morning until evening (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.), followed by overnight blocks of progressive rock. Eventually, the station discontinued its daytime easy listening format due to stronger audience engagement and advertising revenue generated by rock programming. The station also experimented with quadraphonic sound, promoting itself as "Quad One-Oh-Two-And-A-Half." However, its free-form rock programming faced stiff competition from more research-driven album rock formats that impacted its audience ratings as measured by Arbitron. In 1991, the call sign was updated to WHPT to signify "The Point," a brand later replaced by "The Bone," although the call letters remained unchanged.
Hot talk
Over time, on-air personalities were granted greater latitude to incorporate comedy and talk segments into their shows, which gained popularity surpassing traditional music content. By April 2012, WHPT had fully adopted a hot talk format while continuing to operate under "The Bone" branding.
In September 2022, Cox Radio designated WHPT as the flagship broadcaster for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Concurrently, the station launched an HD2 subchannel dedicated exclusively to Lightning-related content including live broadcasts, game replays, and podcasts available around the clock. That same year marked WHPT's addition as the flagship station for sports coverage of the University of South Florida, encompassing Bulls football and basketball events.