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| Broadcast area | Tampa Bay Area |
| Frequency | 620kHz |
| Branding | 95.3 WDAE & AM 620 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| WFLA,WFLZ-FM,WFUS,WHNZ,WMTX,WRUB,WXTB | |
| History | |
First air date | May 15, 1922 (103 years ago) (1922-05-15) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 74198 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
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Transmitter coordinates | 27°52′37″N82°35′26″W / 27.87694°N 82.59056°W /27.87694; -82.59056 |
| Translator | 95.3 W237CW (Pinellas Park) |
| Repeater | 95.7 WRUB-HD3 (Clearwater) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | 953wdae |
WDAE (620AM) is acommercial radio stationlicensed toSt. Petersburg, Florida, and serving theTampa Bay area. Owned byiHeartMedia it airs asports radio format. WDAE is one of the oldest radio stations in Florida still broadcasting today, going on the air in 1922. The station's studios and offices are on Ulmerton Road in Clearwater, Pinellas County, while itstransmitter site is located near theGandy Bridge in St. Petersburg.
WDAE is licensed to broadcast with 5,600 watts by day and 5,500 watts at night. However, because the signal is subject to interference from high-powered Cuban stations, since 1983 theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) has given WDAE a series ofspecial temporary authority (STA) grants for higher powers of 11,280 watts daytime and 11,000 watts nighttime.[2] It uses adirectional antenna at night.
WDAE used to use theiBiquityHD radio system during daytime hours. Programming is also heard onFM translator W237CW at 95.3MHz and on the HD3digital subchannel of co-ownedWRUB (95.7 FM).
Two local shows are heard on weekdays on WDAE: Pat Donovan and Aaron Jacobson with "The Pat and Aaron Show" in mornings, and Tom Krasniqi during late afternoons.[3] In other parts of the day, WDAE airssyndicated programming fromFox Sports Radio.
Programming issimulcast onFMtranslator W237CW.
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W237CW | 95.3 FM | Pinellas Park, Florida | 147104 | 250 | 161.1 m (529 ft) | D | LMS |
On December 1, 1921, the U.S. Department of Commerce, which regulated radio at this time, adopted the first regulations formally establishing a broadcasting station category, which set aside the wavelength of 360 meters (833 kHz) for entertainment broadcasts, and 485 meters (619 kHz) for market and weather reports.[4]
On May 15, 1922, theTampa Times, an afternoon daily newspaper, was issued a license for operation on both the 365 and 485-meter wavelengths.[5] The call sign, WDAE, was randomly assigned from a sequential roster of available call letters. WDAE was the second Florida broadcasting station licensed under the new regulations, followingWCAN inJacksonville, which was authorized seven days earlier,[6] and, after a series of test transmissions, made its formal debut on May 17.[7] WCAN was deleted on October 26, 1922.[8] (Some sources have listedWQAM in Miami as Florida's oldest station, with varying claims of a history dating back to as early as 1920,[9] however FCC records report WQAM's "Date First Licensed" as January 23, 1923.)
WDAE, as most early radio stations, broadcast on several frequencies during its beginning years, settling onAM 1250 by 1941.[10] In 1947, still owned by the newspaper, it added an FM station, 105.7 WDAE-FM (nowWMTX100.7 FM).[11]
Through the 1940s and 50s, WDAE-AM-FM wereCBS Radio Network affiliates, carrying its dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows andbig band remotes during theGolden Age of Radio. In the late 1960s, WDAE-FM switched tobeautiful music, while the AM station was a popularTop 40 station.
WDAE aired the popular talk show "Desperate & Dateless" on Friday nights with host Rosemary Haddad and producer Sam Cardinale. In the 1980s, as Top 40 listening switched to FM, WDAE changed to anoldies format.[12] By the 1990s, it had moved toadult standards and later began simulcasting theadult contemporary music format of co-owned WUSA (100.7 FM, nowWMTX) in November 1990.[13]
In March 1994, WDAE switched toclassic country as "Country Gold Froggy 1250" with former WUSA personalities whose on-air names became I.B. Green, Jimmy Hoppa and Davey Croakett.[14]
In 1999, the station was acquired by Clear Channel Communications, the previous name of current owneriHeartMedia. Clear Channel switched WDAE to its current all-sports format as "The Sports Animal."
On November 1, 1927, WSUN first signed on the air.[15] For most of its early history, it was operated as amunicipal service of the city of St. Petersburg. WSUN used the first directional AM antenna system in the U.S., implemented to protect and cooperate withWTMJ inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, also on 620 kHz. In its early years, WSUN was anABC Radio affiliate, carrying the network's schedule until the 1960s, when it moved to afull servicemiddle of the road music format.[16] The city sold the station in the mid-60s due to network and programming complications with WSUN'ssister television station which had been established in 1953.
Through the 1970s and 80s, WSUN airedcountry music.[17] It was owned by Plough Broadcasting, a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical firmSchering-Plough. In 1988,Cox Broadcasting acquired WSUN and switched it totalk and later to 1950s-basedadult standards.[18] In 1998, pending a sale, WSUN began simulcasting the audio from local cable news service "Bay News 9," changing the call letters of AM 620 to WSAA. Cox Broadcasting moved the WSUN call letters and its standards format over to its co-owned station onAM 910 in nearbyPlant City, Florida (nowWTWD).
On New Year's Day 2000, three Tampa Bay radio stations, including WDAE, were involved in a frequency swap. WSUN had previously vacated AM 620, moving to AM 910. WDAE and its sports format moved from 1250 to 620.[19] Business-formattedWHNZ, which Clear Channel had acquired fromPaxson Communications in 1998, switched fromAM 570 to WDAE's previous home at 1250. In addition, Clear Channel put anews/talk format on AM 570, changing the call letters to WTBN, which stood for "Tampa Bay News".Salem Communications acquired WTBN the following year, installing aChristian radio format.
In late 2012, WDAE became the Tampa Bay home ofESPN Radio, as rival sports stationWHBO (1040 AM) switched affiliation to theNBC Sports Radio Network. In 2024, ESPN programming left WDAE. It began carrying shows fromFox Sports Radio most hours, except for a local wake up show and afternoondrive time program.[20]WTMP 1150 picked up ESPN programming.
On November 28, 2018, WDAE rebranded as "95.3 WDAE", using the FM translator in its branding.[21]
WDAE is theflagship station for theTampa Bay Rays baseball team. It is also the Tampa Bay home ofSouth Florida Bulls football andFlorida Gators men's basketball games. Each year, WDAE carries theFirestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg auto race.
The station had been the flagship station for theTampa Bay Buccaneersfootball. Beginning with the 2017 season, the team's broadcasts move to co-ownedactive rock station 97.9 FMWXTB. WDAE continues to air interviews with players and coaches during game weeks.[22]
WDAE had also been the flagship radio station for theTampa Bay Lightning of theNational Hockey League (which is now on WHPT). WDAE had also broadcast theTampa Bay Storm of theArena Football League (later heard on sister stationWHNZ).
(WDAE's logo using the primary 620 AM frequency branding)
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