WDAS-FM
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| City | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater Philadelphia (Delaware Valley) |
| Branding | 105.3 WDAS FM |
| Slogan | "Philly's Best R&B and Throwbacks!" |
| Frequency | 105.3 (MHz) (also on HD Radio) 105.3 HD-2 for R&B Love Songs |
| First air date | August 1959 |
| Format | Urban Adult Contemporary |
| Language(s) | English |
| ERP | 16,500 watts |
| HAAT | 266 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 71316 |
| Callsign meaning | W Dannenbaum And Steppacher |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia, Inc. (WDAS License Limited Partnership) |
| Sister stations | WDAS (AM), WIOQ, WISX, WRFF, WUSL |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wdasfm.com |
WDAS-FM is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station that features R&B and Classic Soul, and is licensed to the city of Philadelphia. Under ownership of iHeartMedia, Inc., the station is widely regarded as one of the originators of the Urban AC format which mixes R&B oldies with non-rap contemporary R&B and is now found in many major markets across the United States. WDAS broadcasts at an effective radiated power of 16,500 watts (16.5 kilowatts (kW)) from a class B signal, from a tower located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, and its studios are located in Bala Cynwyd. The main competitor of WDAS in the Philadelphia market is WRNB, and its format complements WUSL and WDAS-AM.
WDAS-FM is one of at least two "legendary" radio stations in Philadelphia, pioneers in a format so successful that listenership is passed on from generation to generation. In Philadelphia's African American community, WDAS is the FM equivalent to the perennially popular KYW Newsradio 1060. Widely regarded as the originator of the Urban Adult Contemporary format which it plays today, WDAS continues to occupy its roost amongst the 3 top radio stations in the Delaware Valley as of December 2005 Arbitron ratings [1]. But it was not always this way.
WDAS-FM came on the air in August 1959, as a hybrid rock and classical music format, the latter of which featured on Sundays. The station shared the same WDAS call letters as its AM counterpart on the 1480 frequency. By mid-1960s, the station moved to the classical music format exclusively. However, due to low ratings by April 1968, the format changed back to a rock format, evolving to the new "underground" and album-track trend. This short-lived period introduced much of the new voices of "progressive" FM radio including Michael Tearson and Ed Sciaky alongside a revitalized Hy Lit from WIBG, and later a popular nighttime show by owner Max Leon's son Steve, who called himself "My Father's Son" on the air. Venerable folk music host Gene Shay also did his program from WDAS at this time.
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