WQAM

Lore & Background

WQAM's earliest history is tangled with that of WFAW, a station licensed to The Miami Daily Metropolis from June 16, 1922, until its deletion on June 11, 1923. Fred W. Borton later claimed WFAW had been first licensed to him, though no records support its existence before the Metropolis grant. Various sources date WFAW's start from 1920 to 1922, and some consider it the forerunner of WQAM. On December 9, 1922, the Metropolis announced WFAW broadcasts were suspended pending a move; on January 27, 1923, a new 100-watt transmitter built by Borton was reported, and two days later the newspaper stated the government had granted a new charter and changed the station number to WQAM. However, regulators treated WFAW and WQAM as separate stations, and FCC records list January 23, 1923, as WQAM's first license date.

WQAM was initially licensed to the Electrical Equipment Company on the 360-meter entertainment wavelength. Fred W. Borton, who later became president of the Miami Broadcasting Company, made many electrical parts himself. The station increased power to 500 watts in 1926, became the first in the U.S. to install a permanent remote pick-up from the U.S. Meteorological Department, and reached 1,000 watts in 1928. It became a full-time CBS affiliate, switched to ABC Radio in 1947, and in 1948 Borton sold his interest, with The Miami Herald assuming full ownership.

In the 1960s, Storz Broadcasting installed a Top 40 format, making WQAM a dominant force in South Florida. It interviewed and promoted The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show from Miami Beach in February 1964. The station ended its Top 40 run on February 28, 1980, switching to country music as "Sun Country WQAM." After a period of country and oldies, it became an all-sports station around 1992, eventually serving as flagship for the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and University of Miami Hurricanes. In 2014, Beasley Broadcast Group traded WQAM to CBS Radio, which merged with Entercom (now Audacy) in 2017.

Reader's Guide

WQAM's significance lies in its longevity and its role as a pioneering broadcaster in Florida, despite the uncertainty surrounding its exact founding date. Its history reflects the evolution of American radio: from early experimental days with homemade transmitters, through network affiliation and the rise of Top 40, to the modern era of all-sports programming. The station's Top 40 period under Storz Broadcasting in the 1960s made it a cultural touchstone for baby boomers from Jupiter to Key West and even in Havana, where Cuban youngsters gathered to hear Casey Kasem's American Top 40. WQAM's later transition to sports talk cemented its place as a flagship for major professional and collegiate teams in Miami. Its legacy includes being one of the oldest stations in the state, a key player in the AM-to-FM transition, and a consistent source of local and national sports coverage. The station's ownership changes—from local businesses to Storz, Beasley, CBS Radio, and finally Audacy—illustrate the consolidation trends in the radio industry. Today, WQAM continues to serve South Florida as a sports radio hub, available online via Audacy.

Did You Know?

• WQAM's first license was issued on January 23, 1923, but its history may trace back to an earlier station, WFAW, first licensed in June 1922.
• In February 1964, WQAM interviewed and heavily promoted The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach.
• The station's call letters were randomly assigned from a sequential roster of available call signs.