WBVM (90.5 FM, "Spirit FM 90.5") is a

Christian radio Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...

station licensed to

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

. Owned by the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg The Diocese of Saint Petersburg () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Tampa Bay region of Gulf Coast Florida. The Diocese of Saint Petersburg is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province o ...

, the station broadcasts a

Christian adult contemporary Christian adult contemporary, also known as Christian AC, CAC, or Christian Adult Contemporary Airplay, is a form of radio-played contemporary Christian music, ranging from 1960s Jesus music and 1970s Christian soft rock music to predominately ...

music format serving the

Tampa Bay Area The Tampa Bay area is a major metropolitan area surrounding Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, Florida, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, Florida, Clea ...

. The station's studios are currently located at 717 S. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, and the station's transmitter is located in Riverview. WBVM is primarily listener-supported through donations, with annual pledge drives such as "Spread the Word", "Hopesgiving", and "Thrill of Hope". The station's programming includes Christian music, along with programs featuring local diocesan speakers, the Saturday morning children's program ''Kid's Kingdom with Elle'', community features on ''How We See It,'' and even Bishop Parkes himself with ''A View from the Top''. Some syndicated programs are carried, such as ''Focus on the Family Minute'', ''Divine Mercy Chaplet'', and '' Lighthouse Catholic Media''. ''

Sacred Classics ''Sacred Classics'' was 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 was broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as ...

'', a weekly program of traditional choral and organ music, originates from the station. WBVM broadcasts two

HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...

subchannels, including ''The Light'' (which carries additional Christian programming), and the Spanish-language ''El Fuego''. Spirit FM also hosts an annual Women's Conference, available to all women across the Diocese of St. Petersburg. The station often brings nationally renowned speakers and artists to this conference. In 2018, Spirit FM also had in integral role in hosting the Family Faith Fest, alongside The Diocese of St. Petersburg, sponsored by BayCare. Programming from WBVM was simulcast on WWLC, 88.5 MHz, in

Cross City, Florida Cross City is a town and the county seat of Dixie County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,689 at the 2020 census. Geography The approximate coordinates for the Town of Cross City is located in North Central Florida at (29.6806, � ...

, owned by the neighboring Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine. In 2012, WBVM received the ''

Gabriel Award The Gabriel Awards are a Catholic honor awarded each year for excellence in broadcasting. They were started by the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals in 1965, and are currently administered by the Catholic Media Association. ...

'' as best Religious Radio Station of the Year by the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals. It also received a Gabriel Award in the category Best Ecumenical or Interreligious Program for Local Release.

References

External links

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''Sacred Classics''
{{coord, 27.848, N, 82.264, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title BVM (FM) BVM (FM) Catholic radio stations Radio stations established in 1986 1986 establishments in Florida