It first began broadcasting in 1969 under the call signWLBE-FM, as an MOR-format radio station. The station first gained noticed as a Top 40 radio station in the mid 1980s as Leesburg-licensed WHLY-FM, using the moniker Central Florida's Y-106. Among the personalities at the station in this era were Shadow, who hosted a music-intensive morning show, and program director Rick Stacy, now at WOCL105-9 Sunny FM. By 1987, adult-focused Top 40 WBJW BJ105 remained the ratings and revenue leader in Orlando, and Y-106 was still viewed as a teen and young-adult station. This resulted in the shift in call letters to WCAT-FM and the nickname The Cat, in a failed attempt to woo older listeners. The WHLY call letters returned, but the damage had been done. Furthermore, the rise of dance music, early hip-hop, hair bands and adult rock compounded the station's struggles. The station began broadcasting under the "WXXL" callsign in December 17, 1990, as it was to become Orlando's new CHR radio station for the Central Florida area. The original morning show for WXXL was Doc and Johnny in the Morning, later The XL Morning Zoo with Doc and Johnny, starring Jeffrey "Doc Holliday" Duncan and Johnny Magic. The morning show was a staple of the station from 1990 through 2007, when Jeff resigned and jumped ship to Cox Radio, initially taking over the morning show at WWKA before taking a talk radio show on WRSO.
Programming
Johnny has remained at WXXL, initially with Jayde Donovan until she moved to WPOI in Tampa to coincide with their jump to the CHR format. Jayde eventually moved to WPLJ in New York as part of The Todd And Jayde Morning Show. Johnny currently headlines the WXXL morning show as Johnny's House with co-hosts Selena Medea, Brian Grimes, Sondra Rae, and “Detroit”. In recent years, WXXL has started bringing club disc jockeys in to mix music during late nights, and on Friday night beginning at rush hour. WXXL is also Orlando's station for On Air with Ryan Seacrest middays and American Top 40 on Sunday mornings. WXXL is consistently one of the top Nielsen-rated stations in the Orlando market, typically competing with WOMX-FM, a Hot AC station.
