WTBV
| Company type | Commercial radio station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | July 1, 1961 in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States |
| Headquarters | St. Petersburg , United States |
Area served | Tampa Bay area |
| Products | Urban adult contemporary music radio broadcasting |
| Owner | Cox Media Group |
WTBV (101.5 FM, branded as "101.5 The Vibe") is a commercial broadcaster licensed in St. Petersburg, Florida, catering to listeners throughout the Tampa Bay area. Owned by Cox Media Group, the station features an urban adult contemporary music format. Its studios are situated on 4th Street North in St. Petersburg. During morning drive time, WTBV airs the nationally syndicated Rickey Smiley Morning Show.
The station transmits with an effective radiated power of 100,000 watts from its transmitter located on Colonnade Vista Drive in Riverview, Florida. Utilizing HD Radio technology, WTBV’s HD2 channel delivers an alternative rock format under the brand 97X.
Religious Era (1961–1997)
Launching on July 1, 1961, the station originally operated as WGNB and was paired with WGNP 1520 AM (currently WXYB), both owned by the World Christian Radio Foundation. In 1974, ownership transferred to Chicago's Moody Bible Institute, which rebranded the station as WKES and adopted a Christian radio format broadcast from studios at Keswick Christian School in Seminole, affiliated with Moody.
Soft Adult Contemporary Phase (1997–1998)
In 1997, Paxson Broadcasting acquired WCIE 91.1 FM in Lakeland from Carpenter's Home Church and exchanged it with Moody’s WKES frequency. Programming for WKES moved to 91.1 FM, while 101.5 FM was relaunched as WILV with a soft adult contemporary "Love Songs" format under the brand "Love 101.5" on July 25.
Rhythmic Oldies Period (1998–2001)
Due to underwhelming ratings, after Clear Channel Communications took over Paxson’s stations in 1998, 101.5 FM shifted to a rhythmic oldies format branded as WFJO "Jo 101.5" starting September 19. Cox Radio acquired WFJO and several other Clear Channel properties in 1999.
1980s Hits Format (2001–2011)
December 15, 2001 marked a transition to an exclusively 1980s-themed playlist as "The New 101-5 The Point," debuting with Simple Minds’ "Don't You (Forget About Me)." Inspired by Houston’s KHPT format, the call letters changed to WPOI on January 14, 2002. Initially promoted as "The Best of the '80s and More," the station also included select late-1970s and early-1990s tracks.
By 2006, "The Point" incorporated more songs from the 1990s and by 2009 extended its playlist through to the year 2000, eliminating pre-1980s music entirely. The slogan evolved to "The Best Music of the '80s and '90s" in September 2010. In May 2011, the station dropped "New" from its branding to align with sister stations WWRM and WXGL.
Contemporary Hit Radio Era (2011–2023)
At 10 a.m. on July 1, 2011, following Jon Bon Jovi’s "Blaze of Glory," WPOI began stunting prior to launching a contemporary hit radio format as "Hot 101-5." The first track played under this new format was LMFAO’s "Party Rock Anthem." Targeting adults aged 18–49—particularly those between 18 and 34—the station emphasized a current-focused dance-pop playlist with reduced commercial interruptions compared to rivals.
Toward the latter part of this period, WPOI broadened its music selection to include classic pop hits dating back to the 1990s and beyond, reflecting evolving trends within Top 40 radio formats.
Urban Adult Contemporary Format (2023–present)
At noon on September 6, 2023, after airing "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC and "Party Rock Anthem," WPOI commenced stunting by looping "Just Fine" by Mary J. Blige, indicating an impending format shift scheduled for the following day.
At noon on September 7, WPOI transitioned to an urban adult contemporary format branded as "101.5 The Vibe," kicking off with "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison. To reflect this rebranding, Cox filed for and secured the new call sign WTBV on September 11.