Nonprofit 96.7 FM RadioStPete, Inc. has been assigned the FM radio license for WMTB-LP 96.7 by the Federal Communications Commission and formally took over operations of the radio station March 1st.
Formerly known as “Music Tampa Bay,” led by Rick Crandall, the station is now “Sunshine 96.7 FM RadioStPete.”
While the branding has changed, the station will continue to feature local musicians of all styles and genres with an updated and expanded catalog. Jazz is now featured weekday mornings from 5-10am including featured artists from Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association. “Acoustic,” “Blues”and “Young Artists” hours are also on the schedule. The station carries the Al Downing “Monday Night Jazz Hour” live and looks forward to frequent live concerts, festivals, and other live event coverage post COVID-19. Daytime features mostly acoustic tracks and local singer-songwriters. Evenings lean toward local pop and rock. Nearly four hundred individual local musicians and groups are included in the station’s catalog.
96.7 FM also recently joined PRX, the Public Radio Exchange, and has added a number of fine syndicated radio programs such as “Acoustic Café,” Folk Alley” and” WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour ” to the weekly schedule along with news, weather and traffic reports.
96.7 FM RadioStPete, Inc. is all volunteer run and has been granted 501 c 3 nonprofit status by the Internal Revenue Service. The platform is listener supported operating Public Radio rules on the FM radio station. The Board of Directors includes Joe Bourdow, John Kelly, Dr. Alex Harris, J.Kolb, Ryan Jordan, Todd Leiser, Lori Brown, Jim Gilmour, Will Kuncz and Alistair Flynn.
The station’s FM transmitter and tower are housed on the 14th floor of the Arlington Arbor Apartments in downtown St. Petersburg. With live performance studios in Joe’s Creek and additional satellite studios in Dunedin, Seminole and North Redington Beach.
Sunshine 96.7 joins “RadioStPete Online” streaming at RadioStPete.com. Detailed online Program Guides provide the complete 24/7 program schedules for both Sunshine 96.7 FM and RadioStPete Online.
“RadioStPete Online,” launched in 2013, carries four hours of talk programming weekdays, live local event coverage and a variety of music and syndicated programing including an all-night Classical music service from 12 midnight -8am. Several programs throughout the week are “simulcast” on both stations.
All local talk programs and live event coverage is archived at TampabayPodcasts.com and on RadioStPete.com. A third internet stream features “RadioStPete Remix,” the previous week’s talk content streamed 24 hours a day.
Listeners can hear both stations anywhere in the world on their computers, can download free RadioStPete Apps for phones and tablets or listen on enabled speakers via Alexa, Google, Roku, and Siri. The FM radio station is heard over the air in a wide area of St. Petersburg reaching a potential audience of some 250,000 residents.
Why local FM radio when the stations can be so easily heard anywhere on earth on speakers, apps and online? “FM radio still commands a very significant “share of the ear” according to 96.7 RadioStPete, Inc. President Joe Bourdow. “Some 94% of adults over thirty-five listen to over the air radio weekly according to current research. It is important for us to be there too” he said and added, “We encourage everyone to check out our detailed Program Guide online at RadioStPete.com that allows our listeners to access a huge variety of interesting and entertaining audio programming. “
While Crandall is now retiring from active management of the FM radio station, the MTB.fm website will continue, and Rick will appear frequently on Sunshine 96.7 FM as a host. “We look forward to carrying his vision forward in future years” Bourdow said.
Bourdow, retired long time Valpak President, and a commercial radio station owner and manager early in his career in Virginia and Georgia, founded RadioStPete in 2013 with veteran sports broadcaster Patrick Kinas.
For the past nine years, “RadioStPete Online” has also produced the national radio broadcasts of the East-West Shrine Game for SiriusXM “NFL Radio” and over 150 radio stations coast to coast as well as other international sports play by play broadcasts.
Local Organizations may send their public service announcements and other event information to the stations via info@radiostpete.com.
Local Musicians are encouraged to submit “radio ready” mp3 file to Music Director J. Kolb at music@radiostpete.com.