What happened to 101.5 Tampa? Here is a glance into the radio station's transformation and whether or not it's the first time the station changed its sound.

Je'Kayla Crawford - Author

One of the most popular radio stations in the Tampa, Flor. area is undoubtedly 101.5 FM. On the way to work or on the manner house from faculty, the radio station encompasses songs that each technology enjoys and knows the phrases to.

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The station used to be identified for taking part in one of the vital most popular songs at the pop music charts, including singles from artists like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. But now, the radio station has a whole new voice.

Details forward on the trade.

What happened to the 101.5 Tampa radio station?

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Instead of being referred to as Hot 101.5, the radio station has now modified to being known as 101.5, "The Vibe–Tampa Bay’s Only R&B." The transformation was once put in force in September 2023.

Now, as an alternative of taking part in the hit Billboard pop singles, 101.5 will basically play common R&B tune. This lineup will have to include songs from artists like Alicia Keys and Miguel.

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For the ones questioning if R&B is the best song choice for the Tampa area, the radio station apparently took so much into consideration when it came to making the transformation.

“We’re excited to release 101.5 The Vibe and satisfy an important format want in Tampa’s abruptly growing marketplace. We program our radio stations with native research and target audience comments, so they're tailored to each and every marketplace," revealed Rob Babin, EVP of CMG Radio in a press release about the switch.

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This isn't the first time that 101.5 has taken on a new identity.

While this might seem like a drastic change to transform to a completely different music genre that fans of the station are not used to, 101.5 has heard plenty of sound changes over the years.

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The station only started playing pop music in 2011. Before that, the station was '80s-based, and featured popular songs from that decade. Before that, in the '90s, it was regarded as the oldies station for all of their throwback plays.

The point is that a sound change for this station was already overdue and listeners should have already been anticipating it. The station has transformed a handful of times and is clearly not stopping anytime soon. Will R&B be the last change? Or, will this become the permanent choice? Only time will tell.

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How can you pay attention to 101.5 FM?

If you're outdoor of the Tampa space, believe that this format is spreading all the way through the state, east to Jacksonville, with Urban AC Hot 99.five FM Jacksonville recently switching to 106.5 FM.

“This Tampa launch and Jacksonville frequency exchange show our commitment to the Urban AC format,” Chris Eagan, VP of Audience & Operations for CMG Radio stated in the press release, adding, “101.5 The Vibe is the most recent addition to our portfolio of award-winning Urban AC stations in Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Atlanta. I’m happy with the arduous work our Tampa and Jacksonville groups put into these moves.”

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