WQAM Celebrates 20 Years

    Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM marked their 20th anniversary on April 5 as an all-sports radio station. They began to use the sports radio label for the first time when the Florida Marlins played their first game in franchise history on April 5, 1993 at Joe Robbie Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
    It was significant when Sunshine Wireless Company decided to add the sports radio moniker to the WQAM call letters. The station finally had a sports property that would cover evenings during the spring and summer. They had the radio rights to the Miami Heat since their inception in November 1988 and University of Florida football since 1985. The station would lose Heat and Gators broadcasts when they picked up the radio rights of the expansion Florida Panthers and Florida State Seminoles football that June.
    WQAM had a weekday lineup back in April 1993 of The First Team with Jimmy Cefalo and Dave Lamont in morning drive, late mornings with John Moynihan, middays with Rush Limbaugh(the only non-sports show), Hank Goldberg in afternoon drive and Ed Kaplan in late nights.
    The station held the radio broadcast rights for several local sports organizations over the last 20 years. WQAM had the Florida Marlins(1993-2007), the Florida Panthers(1993-2007 and 2010-2013), the Miami Dolphins(1997-2004 and 2007-2009) and the University of Miami Hurricanes(1999-2013). Sunshine Wireless Company sold WQAM to Beasley Broadcasting in 1996.
    There have been a number of broadcasters that had long reigns working at WQAM. Joe Rose has hosted the morning show in different stints since late 1993. Current 940 WINZ morning co-host Jeff DeForrest was part of The First Team from late 1996 until December 2001. Florida Panthers television voice Steve Goldstein had two reigns at WQAM from late 1994 to August 2004 and June 2009 until October 2012. Hank Goldberg was there mainly as an afternoon host from late 1992 until December 2007. Neil Rogers ruled middays in South Florida from late 1997 until his retirement in June 2009. Jim Mandich was around from the mid-1990's until he retired in February 2010. Ed Kaplan started at WQAM in 1986 until 1994 then returned from 1997 until late 2008.
    Other sportscasters once at WQAM have moved elsewhere. Jon Sciambi is the radio baseball voice for ESPN Radio and play-by-play announcer for ESPN. Bob Wischusen is the radio play-by-play announcer for the New York Jets and college sports announcer for ESPN. CBS Sports Radio Network has Chris Moore in evenings, Scott Ferrall in late nights and Damon Amendolara in overnights. Phil Schoen is a soccer play-by-play announcer for beIN Sport. Jody Jackson is a studio host for Fox Sports Arizona.