The station first gained notice as a Top 40 radio station by the fall of 1984 as Leesburg-licensed WHLY-FM, still using the moniker Central Florida's Y-106. Shorter afterward, WDBO became an adult contemporary station.
The station first gained recognition as a popular music outlet by autumn 1984, branded as WHLY-FM, retaining its nickname Central Florida's Y-106. Following that, WDBO adapted to an adult-oriented format.