WBRN-FM

WBRN-FM is a Tampa Bay area radio station that broadcasts on 98.7 FM that is currently programming a Rock-leaning Variety Hits format. The station, owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, is licensed to serve the community of Holmes Beach, Florida, with studios in St. Petersburg and transmitting facilities in Seminole. The station was assigned its current WBRN-FM call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on February 4, 2015.

History

The station signed on the air on December 7, 1989 under the call letters WAYP. The call letters changed to WISP on April 2, 1992. Under the WAYP and WISP call letters, the station played mostly easy listening and adult contemporary music. On May 15, 1998, after stunting with a 49-hour loop of "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc, the rhythmic contemporary format of "WiLD 98.7" debuted under new call letters WLLD. (See the WLLD page for the history of "WiLD"). On August 19, 2009, at 5 PM, "WiLD 98.7" and "Smooth Jazz 94.1 WSJT" switched frequencies, with 94.1 becoming "WiLD 94.1" and 98.7 becoming "Smooth Jazz 98.7 WSJT." The smooth jazz format would evolve into a hybrid of Urban AC and Soft AC (essentially called a "Smooth AC" format).