Tampa Radio Station The Beat Has Switched Places With Another Tampa Station

While radio hasn't been the leading source of entertainment for decades, it remains a reliable part of many people's daily lives. It's understandable, then, that listeners of a particular station, or of a certain show on that station, get upset when they discover that that station seems to have completely vanished.

That's the experience that many regular listeners of Tampa's 95.7 The Beat had recently when they discovered that the station was no longer at that signal. Now, many want to know what happened to the station, and whether it still exists at all.

What happened to 95.7 The Beat?

The good news that The Beat didn't disappear completely . Instead, it simply swapped places with another radio station that took its place at 95.7. iHeartMedia Tampa Bay made the announcement in July of 2024 that Rumba, which was previously at 106.5 WRUB and plays contemporary Latin hits, would be moving down the dial to 95.7. The change was made to increase the signal output for the station to 100,000 watts.

“Rumba 95.7 will feature a special mix of music tailored specifically to the local Latino community in Tampa Bay. We’re also excited to have Enrique Santos hosting our morning show on a far superior signal, ensuring that his unique content reaches even more listeners," iHeartLatino SVP of Programming P.J. Gonzalez said during the announcement.

The Beat, which plays hip-hop and R&B, has switched places with Rumba and can now be found at 106.5/102. The move seems to have been made not to punish The Beat, necessarily, but because of the potential that Rumba has at its new location. Rumba Program Director Super Martinez said: “I’m thrilled to provide our listeners with our brand Rumba and to become the largest Spanish-language station with the strongest signal in all of Tampa Bay.”

Division President Chris Soechtig added: “We are thrilled to expand coverage of Rumba 95.7 on a massive 100,000-Watt signal, in addition to being available across multiple platforms via the iHeartRadio app, dedicated to serving and celebrating the vibrant Latino community in Tampa Bay. This station will provide a platform for diverse voices, culture and music, and we are excited to foster stronger connections within our community."

Following the news that the station had been changed over, there was a mixed reaction among former listeners of The Beat. Some were outraged that their channel had apparently disappeared, while others went with the flow, and found themselves enjoying some of the songs on Rumba.

"So I do not speak Spanish even though I have family members that are half Puerto Rican. 95.7 The beat got flipped over to a Latin station and I've been playing the s--t out of it," one person wrote.

The good news for fans of The Beat is that the station didn't disappear completely. Instead, it just got switched to a new location, one where most of its listeners should still be able to find it and listen to it as part of their routines.