W273CP
| Company type | Commercial radio broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Radio broadcasting |
| Founded | September 1, 1978 |
| Headquarters | Holiday , United States |
Area served | Tampa Bay Area |
| Products | Radio broadcasting (Spanish contemporary hits format) |
| Owner | Spanish Broadcasting System |
WSUN (97.1 FM) is a commercial radio broadcaster licensed to Holiday, Florida, catering to the Tampa Bay Area. Owned by Spanish Broadcasting System, it features a Spanish contemporary hits format under the brand "El Nuevo Zol 97.1". The station’s transmitter is situated near Dartmouth Drive in Holiday.
History
The station began operations on September 1, 1978, broadcasting at 106.3 FM under the call sign WHBS, focusing on Pasco and northern Pinellas Counties. It subsequently changed its call letters to WVTY and later to WLVU, offering easy listening and adult contemporary programming. In 1998, the frequency shifted to 97.1 FM after swapping with WXOF, aiming to enhance coverage within the Tampa Bay area. Soon after, Cox Radio purchased WLVU and rebranded it WSUN-FM, adopting an oldies format known as "Oldies 97.1".
WSUN-FM faced challenges from competition and signal limitations until November 3, 2000, when it transitioned to an alternative rock format branded "97X," becoming Tampa Bay’s first station of this genre in years. The inaugural track was Fuel’s "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)".
On January 18, 2013, WSUN relaunched as an interactive station powered by LDR (Listener Driven Radio) technology, enabling listeners to influence the playlist through voting via a mobile app and website. This engagement resulted in over 1.7 million song votes shortly after the relaunch. By mid-2014, voting was confined to selected tracks with outcomes highlighted in daily countdowns and special programming. Around 2016, the voting mechanism was simplified to an up/down choice.
The interactive format generated varied responses, including criticism for discontinuing the "Morning X" program.
In September 2014, rival iHeartMedia introduced "ALT 99.9" on WFUS-HD2 and a Bayonet Point translator; this was replaced by a WRUB simulcast in March 2016.
The station officially adopted the WSUN call letters on July 22, 2016. It started simulcasting on WHPT-HD2 in August 2016 and expanded to WPOI-HD2 by August 2019.
In 2019, Cox Media Group transferred ownership of WSUN along with Orlando’s WPYO to CXR Radio, LLC—a divestiture trust established following Cox’s sale to Apollo Global Management—to comply with FCC ownership caps limiting six Tampa Bay FM stations.
On February 9, 2022, Spanish Broadcasting System announced its acquisition of WSUN and WPYO for $12.5 million, marking SBS’s market entry.
Starting March 14, 2022, WSUN began simulcasting on St. Petersburg translator W248CA (97.5 FM). On April 26, WSUN discontinued the "97X" alternative rock format and directed listeners toward W248CA and digital platforms. SBS finalized the purchase on April 29 and converted WSUN to a Spanish contemporary hits station branded as "El Nuevo Zol 97.1," officially launching on May 9.
The call letters
The WSUN designation has been associated with St. Petersburg since 1927 when it initially shared airtime with WFLA. By 1929, it settled exclusively at 620 kHz and gained sole rights in 1941 after WFLA switched frequencies. Between the 1960s and 1980s, WSUN was recognized as a prominent country music outlet with a signal extending along Florida’s Gulf Coast and reaching as far as Texas during nighttime hours.
Originally owned by St. Petersburg city authorities, WSUN and its television counterpart WSUN-TV were sold to Detroit-based broadcaster Hy Levinson. WSUN-TV ceased broadcasting in 1970 while WSUN radio and sister station WQXM-FM were acquired by Plough, Inc., a pharmaceutical firm. In the mid-1980s, Plough divested WSUN to Taft Broadcasting, which also owned WTSP television and WYNF-FM.
Later in the decade, CBS Radio purchased WSUN from Taft and converted it into an all-news station before evolving into a news-talk format under Cox Broadcasting during the 1990s. In 1998, Cox traded the AM frequency at 620 for Concord Broadcasting Group’s FM frequency at 97.1 MHz. Subsequently, WSUN-FM launched an oldies format as "Oldies 97.1," while Concord rebranded the AM station as WSAA to simulcast Bay News 9 content. The AM frequency was eventually sold to Clear Channel Communications and rebranded as WDAE.
Concerts
- The Next Big Thing concert series, which initially took place at Coachman Park in Clearwater, was held at the 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre until 2012 before moving to Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg. The 2012 edition of Next Big Thing showcased acts such as Bush, Rise Against, FUN., and Silversun Pickups. Since then, the festival has returned to the venue now called MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre and expanded into a two-day event starting in 2017.
- Hosted annually each spring by 97X at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, The Backyard Barbecue is a single-day concert featuring one stage.
Former
- Rich Fields, who formerly served as announcer for CBS's The Price Is Right and Gameshow Marathon, worked as a DJ at WSUN-FM during its oldies phase.
- Napoleon – Co-host for the original iteration of The Morning X.
- Crissy – The first night DJ (7 p.m. to midnight).
- Pat Largo – The initial midday host (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and the inaugural presenter of Local Motion.
- Ford Prefect – Handled weekend shifts and hosted Sunday School (old school alternative) on Sunday evenings.
- Professor Brian – Co-hosted Sunday School alongside Ford Prefect.
- Jimmy – Early part-time employee covering weekends, overnight slots, fill-in shifts, and co-hosting Local Motion.
- Kate – Took over night hosting duties following Crissy's departure.
- Tre – Managed weekends, fill-ins, and co-hosted Local Motion.
- Phoebe – Hosted during nights and middays.
- Jesse Kage – Presented the Kage Kult Show (7 p.m. to midnight).
- Seth Kushner – Hosted The Morning X.
- Fisher – Original host of The Morning X; currently hosts morning drive on 107.3 The Eagle.
- Drew Garabo – Former Morning X host; now leads Drew Garabo Live in the afternoon on 102.5 The Bone.
- Geo Gauvin – Nighttime host; currently serves as producer at 102.5 The Bone.
- Shark – Program Director; hosted afternoon and midday slots.
- Joel Weiss – Music Director; midday host.
- Griffin Brown – Nighttime presenter.
- Danielle McBroom – Morning host; presently with Magic 94.9.
97X Green Room
The 97X Green Room is an annual compilation series that features live acoustic sessions from artists played on WSUN-FM. Initially available primarily at Best Buy locations throughout the Tampa Bay area, later editions saw wider distribution. Proceeds from the debut album supported Audubon of Florida's Coastal Islands Sanctuaries Program, while subsequent releases benefited The Nature Conservancy. This project merges exclusive acoustic recordings with environmental fundraising efforts in Florida.
Volume 7, released on September 8, 2011, includes performances by Foster the People, A Day to Remember, Silversun Pickups, Manchester Orchestra, Matt Schultz of Cage the Elephant, Sick Puppies, Young the Giant, The Joy Formidable, and Grouplove.