Long time coming. Those were the words I shared with my former colleagues at iHeartMedia’s WDAE in Tampa Bay last week when the news became official: WDAE will finally operate with a full FM signal for the first time in its history.
I was overjoyed. Since departing the station in November 2024 due to a reduction in force, I’ve watched from a distance. Seeing the continued growth — and now the long-awaited opportunity — feels both validating and overdue. Because it is.
In 2026, the two sports radio brands I call home — WDAE in Tampa Bay and The Score in Chicago — are going FM for the first time in meaningful fashion. Moving sports radio to FM isn’t groundbreaking. The timing, however, is. The takeaway is simple: It has never been more vital for sports talk brands to be heard on FM.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Sports radio is no longer surviving on luck. It is a format built on passionate listeners and talent who craft compelling content. People connect with sports radio for one reason above all else: the content is the people.
That is something broadcast companies — especially those that preach locality while making strictly “business” decisions — often forget.
Sports radio has always been built on voices. It began with passionate fans turning America’s most popular reality show — sports — into daily conversation. Sports radio became the muse for billion-dollar sports debate television. It delivered what podcasting later tried to replicate: a megaphone of connection, with real-time participation.
Yet for years, corporate radio often treated sports radio as a risk.
Talent costs money. Music stations allow consolidation. One personality can voice-track multiple markets. Hit songs do the heavy lifting. The margins look cleaner on paper. Sports talk, on the other hand, requires investment. It demands strong personalities, live programming, and local engagement.
But here’s what the latest State of Sports Media data shows: 59% of sports audio listeners tune into AM/FM. Podcasts draw 36%. At the same time, advertisers continue to undervalue radio’s reach, even though it delivers larger audiences at lower cost.
Local sports radio remains a revenue engine when done correctly. That’s why sports radio now belongs at the forefront of a broadcast company’s business plan, not as an afterthought.
iHeartMedia’s decision to place WDAE on a full 95.7 FM signal reflects that realization.
Discussions about upgrading WDAE’s signal have circulated internally for years. When the station added a 95.3 FM simulcast in 2013, it was largely reactive — a response to a competitor entering the market on FM.
But 95.3 FM never compared to what 95.7 FM will provide. This is a substantial upgrade in signal strength and market coverage. It meaningfully improves the station’s long-term health, and for the better.
For more than a decade, however, the internal debate centered on one question: revenue.
Could WDAE generate enough revenue to justify replacing another station’s signal? Could it meet — and exceed — financial expectations? For years, leadership viewed that equation as more risk than reward. Despite strong ratings and digital growth, hesitation remained. Leadership lacked confidence that the local sales staff could sell through what was required to justify the move.
Then 2024 brought change.
WDAE surrendered a local daypart to syndication. The 95.7 frequency transitioned formats. New market leadership arrived. The internal philosophy began to shift.
Still, it’s fair to ask: Is this move proactive strategy or reactive positioning?
When WDAE added an FM translator years ago, it responded to competition. Now, major local sports partners — including the Tampa Bay Lightning and the University of South Florida — have secured FM homes. Did a new ownership group with the Tampa Bay Rays question why they would remain the only professional franchise in the market without a full-FM signal carrying their product? Did that factor into the decision?
Perhaps not. At the same time, removing local middays in late 2024 may have reduced sellable inventory at a moment when sports talk nationally is expanding revenue through digital platforms and influencer integration.
Once again, WDAE moving to 95.7 FM appears more like a response than a strategy.
However, the real test now begins. The 95.7 FM signal offers stronger coverage, and the lineup will add more local programming. That creates new opportunity, expanded reach, and stronger positioning that the station can leverage into broader partnerships and new revenue streams. There is no guarantee that an added FM signal will increase ratings, but station management must make 95.7 FM a clear focal point.
By comparison, 104.3 The Score never had an FM signal before earlier this month. Therefore, its move to FM felt sexier, more attractive, and bolder. WDAE has operated on FM for more than a decade. Now it must sell the excitement of the new 95.7 FM signal without the novelty of being on FM for the first time.
The move also signals a shift in sales leadership. Where previous leadership lacked confidence, new leadership appears to bring a different outlook and mindset. That should give every personality on WDAE hope that management will devote more attention to their brand and platform.
This decision also reinforces iHeartMedia Tampa Bay’s commitment to the Tampa Bay Rays’ new ownership group. It could open doors to new revenue and access opportunities tied to a stadium expected in the coming years.
At the same time, the move adds pressure on the talent. With the company placing a stronger signal behind their content, immediate results must follow. The station must produce more digital, podcasting, and video elements that tie directly to the expanded FM reach. Added local programming should generate more content opportunities and create a stronger lead-in to the station’s prime afternoon daypart.
While a larger FM signal may discourage a direct sports radio competitor, the broader competition has intensified. WDAE can no longer position itself as the lone sports outlet with a limited FM presence. Now it competes on equal technical footing with nearly every FM music and talk brand in the market.
Equal footing changes everything. For years, WDAE fought with one hand tied behind its back — a powerful brand, passionate talent, loyal listeners, but a signal that did not fully match its ambition. Now that excuse is gone. Now the playing field is level.
And that’s the point.
FM in 2026 isn’t about vanity. It’s about validation. Validation that sports radio remains essential, and local personalities matter. Validation that real-time, community-driven conversation still cuts through in a fragmented media landscape.
Companies that recognize sports radio as community — not just inventory — will thrive.
Those that treat it as filler programming will continue chasing sanitized, syndicated music formats that offer short-term efficiency but limited emotional connection. This moment represents more than a frequency change. It reflects belief. Belief in local voices and sales execution. Belief that sports fans deserve a full-strength megaphone in their own backyard.
Now the opportunity is here. No more “what if” or “maybe someday”. No more handcuffs.
Preparation has finally met opportunity. This time, it cannot be reaction. It must be a strategy to win, and I continue to cheer the team for every step.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
