WDAE
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| City | St. Petersburg, Florida |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Tampa Bay Area |
| Branding | Sports Radio 620 WDAE |
| Slogan | "Tampa Bay's Sports Radio" |
| Frequency | 620 kHz (also on HD Radio) |
| Translator(s) | 95.3 W237CW (Pinellas Park) |
| First air date | May 15, 1922 |
| Format | Sports |
| Power | 5,600 watts (day) 5,500 watts (night) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 74198 |
| Callsign meaning | Wonderful Days And Evenings |
| Affiliations | ESPN Radio |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia, Inc. (Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WBTP, WFLA, WFLZ-FM, WFUS, WHNZ, WMTX, WXTB |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 620wdae.com |
WDAE (620 AM, "Sports Radio 620 WDAE") is a sports talk-formatted radio station in Tampa, Florida, United States. It broadcasts at a medium-wave frequency of 620 kHz. It is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.. It broadcasts with 11.2 kW days and 11.0 kW nights in St. Petersburg. This station is licensed for 5.6 kW days and 5.5 kW nights. The higher power was granted by the FCC by Special Temporary Authority in order to overcome interference from stations in Cuba. This station also broadcasts using Ibiquity digital broadcast, also known as HD radio, during daytime hours. The station's studios are located in South Tampa.
The station at WDAE is believed to be the first radio station ever to broadcast in the state of Florida. It also has the distinction of being the first directional AM antenna system in the US, implemented in order to protect WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, also on 620 kHz.
WDAE began at 833 kHz in Tampa on May 15, 1922, as the radio outlet of the Tampa Times, an evening paper in the city. While there is reason to believe WDAE is the first station on air in Florida, as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) credits them with being, there is evidence that there was a station in Jacksonville, Florida with the call letters WCAN, and was licensed before WDAE was. Whether WCAN ever signed on or not is not known, thus WDAE is credited with being first. WQAM also takes credit as being first, although that station was not licensed with those call letters until 1923.
In the 1970s WDAE, which at some point after the early years had moved to 1250 kHz, was a top 40 station, and continued with that until the early 1980s when it switched to Standards.
In March 1994, WDAE ended a simulcast of WUSA and switched to classic country as "Country Gold Froggy 1250" with former WUSA personalities whose on-air names became I.B. Green, Jimmy Hoppa and Davey Croakett.
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