WBVM
Encyclopedia
WBVM, branded as Spirit FM 90.5, is a Christian-based radio station in Tampa, Florida
, broadcasting on 90.5 FM
with an ERP
of 77 kW. It signed on in May 1986 and began broadcasting a second channel in digital HD radio
in 2007. In June 2008, the station began additionally streaming its HD channel on the internet. The station's signal covers the Tampa Bay Area
cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg
, and Clearwater
, as well as the Sarasota-Bradenton metropolitan area
and Lakeland, Florida
.
The non-commercial station is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg
and is primarily listener-supported through an annual "Shareathon" pledge drive. The general manager is John T. Morris and program director is Olivia Hoegstrom. In 2009, the station moved to larger studios at 717 S. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. WBVM's new $1 million facility (pictured) was formally dedicated on October 31.
Programming is predominantly Christian Contemporary music, along with local diocesan speakers, traffic reports, and Spanish language
programs in certain dayparts
. Some syndicated programs are carried, such as Family Minute with James Dobson. WBVM's HD radio digital channel, HD2 – The Light, is separately programmed. A popular locally-produced Saturday morning children's program is Kid's Kingdom.
The long-running Sacred Classics
show, a weekly program of traditional choral and organ music recorded by renowned performing artists, originates at the station. It is broadcast Saturday evenings and repeated on Sunday mornings and evenings on both analog and HD channels.
The station reports that it has listeners online from every continent and all 50 U.S. states. Programming from WBVM is also simulcast on WWLC
, 88.5 MHz, in Cross City, Florida
, owned by the neighboring Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
. WWLC was established as a replacement for Lecanto
-based WLMS
88.3 MHz, which rebroadcast WBVM from May 1, 1992, to October, 2008.
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, broadcasting on 90.5 FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
with an ERP
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 77 kW. It signed on in May 1986 and began broadcasting a second channel in digital HD radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
in 2007. In June 2008, the station began additionally streaming its HD channel on the internet. The station's signal covers the Tampa Bay Area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, and Clearwater
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, as well as the Sarasota-Bradenton metropolitan area
Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area
The North Port-Bradenton–Sarasota, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area consisting of Manatee County and Sarasota County in the state of Florida in the USA. The principal cities in the MSA are Bradenton, located in Manatee County, and Sarasota, and North Port,...
and Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
.
The non-commercial station is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg is a Roman Catholic diocese in Florida. It was founded on March 2, 1968.-Background:The Diocese of St. Petersburg was established on June 17, 1968, from the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami. It is a...
and is primarily listener-supported through an annual "Shareathon" pledge drive. The general manager is John T. Morris and program director is Olivia Hoegstrom. In 2009, the station moved to larger studios at 717 S. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. WBVM's new $1 million facility (pictured) was formally dedicated on October 31.
Programming is predominantly Christian Contemporary music, along with local diocesan speakers, traffic reports, and Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
programs in certain dayparts
Dayparting
In Broadcast programming, dayparting is the practice of dividing the day into several parts, during each of which a different type of radio programming or television programming apropos for that time is aired...
. Some syndicated programs are carried, such as Family Minute with James Dobson. WBVM's HD radio digital channel, HD2 – The Light, is separately programmed. A popular locally-produced Saturday morning children's program is Kid's Kingdom.
The long-running Sacred Classics
Sacred Classics
Sacred Classics is a weekly two–hour radio show originating from WBVM-FM in Tampa, Florida, featuring choral and organ music from international venues. Founded in October 1983, it is broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as streamed over the Internet at various times to accommodate...
show, a weekly program of traditional choral and organ music recorded by renowned performing artists, originates at the station. It is broadcast Saturday evenings and repeated on Sunday mornings and evenings on both analog and HD channels.
The station reports that it has listeners online from every continent and all 50 U.S. states. Programming from WBVM is also simulcast on WWLC
WWLC
WWLC is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format. Licensed to Cross City, Florida, USA, the station is currently owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of St...
, 88.5 MHz, in Cross City, Florida
Cross City, Florida
Cross City is a town in Dixie County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,775 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,800...
, owned by the neighboring Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
The Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine is a diocese of the Catholic Church's Latin Church in the U.S. state of Florida. Part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Miami, it covers much of North Florida, including the cities of St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Gainesville. The bishop's seat is the...
. WWLC was established as a replacement for Lecanto
Lecanto, Florida
Lecanto is a city and suburb of Beverly Hills, Florida, and is part of the Inverness-Beverly Hills Metropolitan Area. It is the smallest city in Citrus County.-Geography:Lecanto is located at ....
-based WLMS
WLMS
WLMS was a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian format until October, 2008, licensed to Lecanto, Florida, USA. The station was owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg from 1992 to 2008, simulcasting programs from WBVM in St. Petersburg...
88.3 MHz, which rebroadcast WBVM from May 1, 1992, to October, 2008.