Sports Radio 620 (WDAE)

WDAE (620 AM, "The Sports Animal") 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 Clear Channel Communications. It broadcasts from a transmitter of 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 continuance of Special Temporary Authority granted by the FCC in the 2005 Construction permit to replace the transmitting towers that straddle Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg. This station also broadcasts using Ibiquity digital broadcast also known as HD radio during daytime hours.For the history of the 620 frequency prior to WDAE, see WSUN-FM.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 the 1990s it began a sports format.In the late 1990s, 620 WSUN, then owned by Cox Communications, was sold and the easy listening programming was moved along with those calls to 910 (formerly WPLA/WFNS in Plant City). After a brief interim while 620 WSAA broadcast the audio portion of Bay News 9, WDAE eventually moved its programming to the superior 620 signal. Business News WHNZ moved from 570 to 1250, and religious programming from Salem Communications took over at 570.WDAE is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications, the largest U.S. radio owner.