History[edit]

Evolution was launched on November 19, 2012, as a platform on iHeartRadio, replacing the previous Dance platform Club Phusion, which was phased out on March 31, 2013. The format and its content was programmed by legendary British DJ, producer, record executive, and radio personality Pete Tong, who also did an air shift until his departure in 2017.^[1] After the platform was launched, it would be adopted as the first over the air format at Clear Channel's newly acquired property WEDX-Lynn/Boston in December 2012,^[2] where it would last until June 2014 when it flipped to Country. Since then the format has expanded to Clear Channel's other properties as a HD2 sub channel or as an FM translator with customized liners for each market.


As of June 2019, Evolution's HD2 and HD3 affiliates were replaced by iHeart's "Pride Radio" format targeting the LGBTQ community. The expansion was in response to rival Entercom's launching of the similar-formatted Channel Q platform.^[3] At the same time, Evolution 101.7 has since stopped broadcasting and it moved Evolution's flagship station from KBKS-HD2/Tacoma to KZZP-HD2/Mesa (its Adult Top 40 sister KMXP already airs Pride on their HD2 sub channel). It has since moved Evolution's flagship station to WFLZ-HD3 Tampa when Evolution 93.3 stopped broadcasting as an individual station.