WDAS (AM)
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| City | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Branding | Smooth Jazz JJZ |
| Frequency |
1480 kHz(also on HD Radio) 106.1 HD2 (WISX) |
| First air date | July 1922 |
| Format | Smooth Jazz |
| Power | 5,000 watts (daytime) 1,000 watts (nighttime) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 71315 |
| Callsign meaning | Dannenbaum (&=And) Steppacher, former owners (1934-1950) |
| Former callsigns | WIAD (1922–1929) WELK (1929–1934) WDAS (1934–2007) WUBA (2007–2011) |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia (WDAS License Limited Partnership) |
| Sister stations | WDAS-FM, WIOQ, WISX, WRFF, WUSL |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wjjz.com |
WDAS (1480 AM) is a radio station licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Owned and operated by iHeartMedia, the station airs a smooth jazz format. Its transmitter is located near Fairmount Park, and its studios are located in Bala Cynwyd.
WIAD in Ocean City, New Jersey signed on in July 1922 at 1200 AM. The station was owned by Howard R. Miller. WIAD eventually relocated to Philadelphia. In 1928, per order of the Federal Radio Commission, the station moved to 1370 AM. In 1929, calls changed to WELK.
In 1934, Miller sold the station, and the new owners, silk manufacturers Dannenbaum & Steppacher, adopted the WDAS call sign. WDAS broadcast various ethnic programming in languages such as Italian, Yiddish and Polish. In 1941, WDAS moved to 1400 AM, then about 15 years later to its current position of 1480 AM.
In 1950, candy manufacturer Max Leon purchased the station for $495,000 from William Goldman, a theater chain owner. The programming at the time consisted of big band music, ethnic and cultural shows. Leon, the founder and conductor of the original Philly Pops Orchestra, added an all-night classical music show.
In 1951, Leon promoted his son-in-law, Bob Klein, to general manager. Klein saw an opportunity in the marketplace and quickly adopted programming geared toward the local African-American community. The music consisted of jazz and rhythm & blues. WDAS added a number of young personalities, including Georgie Woods, Jimmy Bishop, Carl Helm, Butterball Tamburro, Jocko Henderson and Hy Lit. The station also added black-oriented public affairs and news programs, and provided in-depth coverage of the unfolding civil rights movement, featuring award-winning and groundbreaking journalists Joe Rainey and Jim Klash,along with Walt Sanders, Carl Stubbs, Bill Adams, Dave Colman, Jimmy Carter and later, reporter Ed Bradley (later of TV's 60 Minutes). The station employed many blacks, in on-air, office and management positions. The station also took on an activist role in the movement. WDAS was commended by many in the industry and in the civil rights movement. Leon and Klein signed on a sister FM station, WDAS-FM, in 1959. By the early 1970s, the station would launch a groundbreaking and influential urban adult contemporary format still used today.
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