This is the Tampa - St. Pete History section of 
The Broadcast Archive

Maintained by: Barry Mishkind - The Eclectic Engineer
Last Update 12/21/03

WDAE - Tampa, FL

Licensed: May 15, 1922 (DOC #379)

WDAE, regarded as the first station in Florida (the first station in the old DOC lists, WCAN, may not have ever been on the air)

Founded by the Tampa Publishing Company, owner of the Tampa Times, WDAE received license #379 from the Department of Commerce on May 15, 1922. Broadcasting commenced on the May 18, 1922 on 833 kHz at 250 watts.

Shifting through the 1920s from 1100 to 1120 to 620 to 1240 to 1220, WDAE landed on 1250 kHz after the National Frequency Shift of March 29, 1941. Ownsership moved through David Smiley to the Rounsaville stations to the Taft stations to Gannett. After being absorbed into Clear Channel's cluster in 2000, WDAE was shifted to 620 kHz, with WSUN being moved to xxx.

One of the slogans used in the 1920s and 1930s was: WDAE: Wonderful Days And Evenings.