WXTB

Infobox Radio Station


name = WXTB
airdate = 1973
frequency = 97.9 (MHz) HD Radio
city = Clearwater, Florida
area = Tampa Bay, Florida
format = Active Rock
owner = Clear Channel Communications
erp = 100,000 watts
haat = 410 m
branding = 98 Rock
sister_stations = WBTP, WDAE, WFLA, WFLZ, WFUS, WHNZ, WMTX
slogan = 98 Rocks the Bay! class = C
webcast = [http://www.98rock.com/cc-common/streaming_new/ Listen Live]
website = [http://www.98rock.com/ www.98rock.com]
callsign_meaning = We X (cross) Tampa Bay

WXTB 97.9 FM is a Tampa, Florida area commercial Album Oriented Rock/Active rock radio station that mixes music that is popular in the Modern Rock, Heavy metal and Classic rock genres. Known by the brand moniker "98 Rock", WXTB has been broadcasting its popular rock music format since 1990. WXTB is now home of Lex and Terry morning show.

History

In the early 1980s, due to very high ratings that came from album-oriented rock powerhouse competitor WYNF-FM 95ynf (which was on the air from 1979-1993-and for a time owned by CBS radio), WQXM-FM became Top 40 outlet WZNE-FM, which lasted until January 1986, and then changed again after the station proved to also consistently fall behind former contemporary hit radio champion WRBQ-FM (Q105)'s leading Arbitron numbers at the time.

In January 1986, WZNE-FM changed its call letters to WKRL-FM, relocated its studios to an office complex in Clearwater, Florida and reformatted itself as a classic rock station.

The format lasted for about four years until early January 1990 when it was relaunched as the first all-Led Zeppelin format, profiling the material from the band, as well as its offshoot solo artists and other music-related projects. It would soon add bands like the Rolling Stones, the Who, and ZZ Top to its playlist while the stunt continued. Following on-air comments that lasted on and off for about a couple of weeks, WKRL-FM changed its call letters to WXTB-FM and readopted the handle 98 Rock-which was initially carried over from its classic rock days, on the behest of its then-owner Great American Broadcasting Corporation and launched the hard-sounding current-based format which would be known in later years as active rock on January 18, 1990 at noon, premiering with AC/DC's 1980 classic "Hell's Bells".

The original Air Staff consisted of: Buck Maui (aka:Sea Bass) in Morning Drive, Ted Kamikaze Mid days, Scott Ledger Afternoons, and Austin Keyes Nights.

The radio station was a huge ratings success, responsible for launching the Seattle bands in 1991 early on and the nu-metal bands of the mid to late 1990s before other stations across North America (besides such bands' home bases) caught on. Active rock's format and style would soon launch hundreds of stations across the United States and North America in the coming years and even affect the playlists of so-called modern rock stations that were becoming hugely popular in the mid-1990s.

WXTB-FM was also the home of the top rated Sea Bass & Marla Morning Show, and later the flagship of the former regional radio host Todd Clem, better known as Bubba the Love Sponge. He arrived on the air for the mornings at a time when the station was struggling to find a morning personality to replace the popular and highly successful Sea Bass who left when the Morning Show was at its peak. After several unsuccessful Morning Show ensembles, WXTB hired Bubba to battle against other successful morning radio shows in the Tampa Bay area market. Mr. Clem's blend of shock radio and out of the mainstream guests drew many younger listeners to his show since its inception in the mid 1990s. Also appearing on the BTLS show was a young producer who Bubba gave the name Cowhead because of his "big, giant head."

The station moved its studios from Clearwater, Florida to new owner Clear Channel's broadcast complex in southwest Tampa, Florida in 2000 in the owner's attempt to consolidate its overall operation of owned stations in the region.

Following a record fine assessed by the Federal Communications Commission in February 2004, due to then-alleged indecent content, Bubba Clem was fired as the morning host of WXTB-FM-which also ceased the program of Mr. Clem's carried by a number of affiliated stations mainly throughout the Southeast.

The station still continues its current active rock programming to this day and since December 1992 has hosted the Tampa Bay Children's Home auction and Pay for Play weekends (eventually taking over for the now-defunct WYNF-FM)-which auctions off rock memorabilia for donations and receives funds from donors in exchange for playing a wide variety of music requests (including those out of format).

Notable Personalities

WXTB was home to the morning show of Sea Bass from 1990-93. Sea Bass & Marla from 1993-1995. Bubba the Love Sponge from 1996 until his firing in 2004. He was succeeded by the Monsters in the Morning and later " [http://www.thebucketheadshow.com/ The Buckethead Show] ."

Concerts

* Livestock concert series; now retired
* 98RockFest new annual concert series

External links

* [http://www.98rock.com/ Official Website]
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* [http://www.thebucketheadshow.com/ http://www.thebucketheadshow.com]
* [http://www.floridaentertainmentscene.com/concert_galleries/98-rockfest/Album2.htm 98 Rockfest Concert Gallery]