WDUV

Infobox Radio Station
name = WDUV
city = New Port Richey, Florida
area = Tampa Bay Area
branding = The Dove
frequency = 105.5 MHz
format = Soft AC
power = 46,000 watts
callsign_meaning = DUV = dove
class = C1
former_callsigns = "(applies only for this frequency)"
WPSO (to 7/11/1983)
WGUL-FM (7/11/1983-3/13/1995)
WTBT (3/13/1995-3/24/1999)
owner = Cox Communications
webcast = [http://uni3.cox.streamaudio.com/WDUV_FM Listen Live]
website = [http://wduv.com/ wduv.com]

WDUV, "The Dove," is a radio station serving the Tampa Bay media market in Florida.

Broadcasting on 105.5 FM, the station specializes in playing the "beautiful music" format, which announcers for the station describe as "continuous relaxing easy favorites." The format is actually a very gold-leaning soft adult contemporary mix of music with one or two instrumentals per hour, having evolved from true "beautiful music." Artists frequently heard on the station include The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, Bread, Carly Simon, The Beatles, The Mamas & The Papas, and Natalie Cole.

WDUV is owned by Cox Radio, and is one of the highest-rated radio stations playing the "beautiful music" format in the Southern United States. According to Arbitron, WDUV was the highest-rated radio station in Tampa Bay, beating out its nearest competitor, WFLA, by nearly three full percentage points in the winter of 2008. Currently, WDUV has a 9% market share out of all the radio stations licensed for the Tampa area, sliding one percentage point from 2005.

History

Initially signing on in October 1963, WDUV was formerly licensed to Bradenton in Manatee County and formerly broadcasted at 103.3 FM. The station originally shared the same studio facilities on Tamiami Trail in Bradenton with WBRD AM 1420 and the Bradenton news bureau of WXLT-TV; at the time, all three stations were owned by the same family. In the early-1990s, WDUV relocated its frequency to 103.5 FM, to improve its coverage area in the Tampa Bay area. By the mid-1990s, WDUV would be acquired by Jacor Broadcasting (since absorbed by Clear Channel Communications), who relocated its studios to St. Petersburg.

In 1999, WDUV would swap its frequency with Classic rock station WTBT, moving from 103.5 to the stronger 105.5 signal (WTBT is now country music "US 103-5," WFUS). However, both frequencies would retain their transmitting locations and cities of license -- after the swap, WDUV became licensed in New Port Richey with transmitting facilities in Holiday, while WTBT / WFUS, whose transmitter was located in Riverview, became licensed in Bradenton. (That station has since been relicensed to Gulfport.)

Shortly after the swap, Clear Channel would sell WDUV to its present owner, Cox Radio.

Personalities and Music

WDUV's popular morning show, which airs from 6 to 10 a.m., is hosted by radio personality Dick Ring. [http://wduv.com/about_us/dickring.html] The remainder of the broadcasting day is generally automated and without disk jockeys -- which was how WDUV operated for most of its life on the air.

A sample hour of music on WDUV includes songs such as the following:

* "My Guy" - Mary Wells
* "Careless Whisper" - George Michael
* "Have You Seen Her?" - Chi-Lites
* "Who'll Stop The Rain" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
* "(Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All" - The 5th Dimension
* "Leavin' On A Jet Plane" - Peter, Paul & Mary
* "You Are The Woman" - Firefall
* "I Just Called To Say I Love You" - Stevie Wonder
* "Nadia's Theme (The Young And The Restless)" - Barry DeVorzon & Perry Botkin
* "Eres Tú" - Mocedades
* "Any Day Now" - Ronnie Milsap
* "Do You Want To Know A Secret" - The Beatles
* "We've Only Just Begun" - The Carpenters
* "Surfer Girl" - The Beach Boys
* "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You" - Glenn Medeiros
* "Fernando" - ABBA
* "Since I Don't Have You" - The Skyliners

External links

* [http://wduv.com/ WDUV website]
*FMQ|WDUV
*FML|WDUV