From Music Charts to Game-Day Stats: WQAM’s Evolution Over the Decades WQAM in Miami was a prominent station during the 1960s, especially under the
From Music Charts to Game-Day Stats: WQAM’s Evolution Over the Decades
WQAM in Miami was a prominent station during the 1960s, especially under the ownership of Storz Broadcasting. Todd Storz, often credited as the pioneer of the Top 40 radio format, revolutionized radio programming by focusing on playing the most popular songs in rotation. WQAM followed this format, becoming a major player in Miami’s radio scene and attracting a youthful audience with its energetic DJs, contests, and promotions.
The station’s popularity soared as it embraced the vibrant music culture of the era, including rock ‘n’ roll and Motown hits. WQAM’s DJs were local celebrities, and the station’s events often drew large crowds. It was a time when radio was the heartbeat of pop culture, and WQAM thrived as a key part of that movement.
Early History: On December 9, 1922, the Miami Metropolis announced that broadcasts from its WFAW station were temporarily suspended as the station prepared to relocate to a new site with the Electrical Equipment Company. The existing WFAW transmitter was set to be dismantled. On January 27, 1923, the Metropolis reported that a new 100-watt transmitter, designed and built by F. W. Borton of the Electrical Equipment Company, was installed at the company’s office on Northwest Fourth Street and would be used for the newspaper’s broadcast service. The first broadcast from this new transmitter was scheduled for the following evening. Two days later, the Metropolis announced the completion of the expanded radio plant, revealing that the government had granted a new charter and changed the station’s call letters from WFAW to WQAM. However, while the call sign WQAM was assigned to the Electrical Equipment Company, WFAW was still licensed to the Miami Metropolis. Government regulators viewed them as separate stations, as reflected in a March 1, 1923, listing of active licenses. As a result, the FCC History Cards show January 23, 1923, as WQAM’s “Date First Licensed,” marking the first use of the WQAM call sign.
The president of the Electrical Equipment Company at the time was W. W. Luce. WQAM was initially licensed to operate on the 360-meter (833 kHz) “entertainment” wavelength, with its call letters randomly assigned from a pool of available options.
Fred W. Borton, who later became president of the Miami Broadcasting Company, personally crafted many of the electrical components. In 1926, the station boosted its power to 500 watts and became the first station in the U.S. to install a permanent remote feed from the U.S. Meteorological Department. By 1928, the station’s power increased to 1,000 watts, and WQAM became a full-time affiliate of CBS. It switched to ABC Radio in 1947, and in 1948, Borton sold his interest in the station, with The Miami Herald taking full ownership.
In its early years, the station received programming assistance from the Miami Metropolis before the paper ended its involvement.
Top 40 Era: Storz Broadcasting, led by Todd Storz, was a trailblazer in the radio industry during the 1950s and 1960s. Todd Storz is often credited with pioneering the Top 40 radio format, which revolutionized how radio stations operated. The idea was simple yet groundbreaking: play the most popular songs repeatedly, based on record sales, jukebox plays, and listener requests. This format quickly gained traction and became the standard for many stations. Storz Broadcasting owned several influential stations, including KOWH in Omaha, WTIX in New Orleans, WHB in Kansas City, WDGY in Minneapolis, KOMA in Oklahoma City, and WQAM in Miami. These stations became immensely popular, attracting large audiences with their energetic DJs, tight playlists, and engaging promotions. The success of Storz Broadcasting not only reshaped the radio landscape but also played a significant role in promoting rock ‘n’ roll and pop music during its golden era. Todd Storz’s innovative approach left a lasting legacy in the broadcasting world.
The Storz family’s first station, KOWH-AM in Omaha, saw immense growth by adopting this format, which became the foundation for a chain of successful stations. Starting with WTIX in New Orleans in 1953, Storz expanded his network to include WHB-AM (Kansas City, 1954), WDGY-AM (Minneapolis/St. Paul, 1956), WQAM-AM (Miami, 1956), KOMA-AM (Oklahoma City, 1958), and KXOK-AM (St. Louis, 1960). Todd Storz’s influence transformed the radio industry until his untimely passing in 1964.
WQAM is particularly renowned for its ownership by Storz Broadcasting during the 1960s, when the station adopted a Top 40 format and fiercely competed with rival station WFUN 790 AM (now WAXY). In February 1964, WQAM played a key role in interviewing and promoting The Beatles’ second and third appearances on CBS’s The Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast live from the Deauville Hotel in North Beach, Miami Beach. In the 1960s, WQAM featured personalities like Rick Shaw, Charlie Murdock, Lee Sherwood, Dan Chandler, Roby Yonge, Ted Clark, Jim Dunlap, Jerry Goodwin and Bob Green, all who were known for their on-air work and contributions to the station’s legendary success.
Rick Shaw, DJ
WQAM 560 | Rick Shaw | August 1963
Audio Digitally Restored by USA Radio Museum
A USARM Note: In this 1963 aircheck, you can hear WQAM promos voiced by Ted Clark (at the 3:19 and 10:04 marks). By 1965, Both Jerry Goodwin (1964) and Ted Clark (1965) also joined forces with WKNR (Detroit), following Bob Green, who left WQAM for Detroit in September 1963.
As the leading radio station in Miami and South Florida at the time, WQAM became the go-to station for baby boomers from Jupiter to Key West, and even in Havana. It was the preferred station for the latest in local and American pop music, continuing to dominate through the late 1970s. During this time, WQAM was one of the many AM stations broadcasting Casey Kasem’s American Top 40, and Cuban youngsters would gather in homes to listen to the weekly countdown, including the 8-hour long year-end special featuring Billboard’s top 100 songs of the year, which was also released on vinyl at 33 RPM.
Country and Oldies Music: On February 28, 1980, WQAM ended its Top 40 format with a montage of music, soundbites, and jingles from PAMS, marking the start of its country music format, known as Sun Country WQAM. In 1985, Sunshine Wireless acquired WQAM from Storz Broadcasting. At the time, AM radio faced stiff competition from FM stations, as young listeners were flocking to FM for popular music. Sunshine Wireless rebranded WQAM as “56 Country WQAM,” with a mix of personality-driven DJ segments, NBC News, and local information. The station achieved success in the ratings during the mid-1980s under program director Jon Holiday, with veteran DJs such as Mike Bell, Mitch Lewis, Johnny Dolan, and George Sheldon, who began his radio career at WQAM in 1986. WQAM shared its studios with WKQS at 9881 Sheridan Street in Cooper City. In 1986, the station added evening sports talk programming hosted by Ed Kaplan.
However, by 1989, WQAM struggled to capture a significant audience share in the Arbitron surveys, despite its blend of country music and sports programming. In 1990, the station shifted away from country music, adopting the satellite-fed “Kool Gold” service, which played oldies from the 1950s and 1960s.
WQAM, which is one of Florida’s oldest radio stations, has undergone significant changes over the past 30 years. Currently branded as “AM 560 Sports,” it operates as a sports radio station and is owned by Audacy, Inc. The station broadcasts a mix of local sports talk shows and syndicated programming, covering teams like the Miami Heat, Florida Panthers, and Miami Hurricanes.
WQAM’s lineup includes popular shows such as “The Joe Rose Show,” hosted by the former Miami Dolphins tight end, and “Hochman & Crowder,” featuring Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder.
The station has maintained its relevance by adapting to the evolving media landscape and focusing on sports content that continues to resonate today with South Florida audiences on the radio dial.
