WHYI

Y100 has been broadcasting continuously with various forms of contemporary hit music since it signed on August 3, 1973 at 6 a.m. with new call letters WLQY (the station was originally to be known as "Lucky 100". The station was renamed Y100 during a staff meeting with consultant Buzz Bennett at the suggestion of the first airstaff).

The first song played on Y100 was "Diamond Girl" by Seals and Crofts. The original line-up included Roby Yonge and John Emm in mornings, Larry McKay in middays, future Power 96 jock Donnie "Cox On The Radio" Cox in afternoons, with Davey O'Donnell in nights, and Eric Rhoads on the overnights. Weekends included Bill Christie and Kevin Malloy. Bill Tanner was later hired as the midday personality and assistant Program Director, and later promoted to program director and moved to the morning show.

Several months after signing on, the call letters were changed from WLQY to WHYI following complaints from crosstown competitor at what was 96.3 WMYQ. They felt the call letters were too similar and would create confusion.

Y100 ushered in the era of the big money contests and aggressive promotional strategy that made the station one of the fastest-growing FM stations in the country during the 1970s.

In 1975, Y100 was the first station in South Florida to broadcast live during the world-famous street party known as Calle Ocho. As Program Director, Bill Tanner hired the personalities who became so familiar to South Florida listeners including sports reporter John "Footy" Kross, newsman Jim Reihle, traffic reporter and the 1st "Captain Y" Glen Logan, he was replaced by Mark Lipof as the 2nd Captain "Y", from 1976 to 1993, midday host, the late Cramer Haas originally hired for overnights, Jo "The Rock N Roll Madame" Meader became the first female DJ on Y100, who went to Z100 in New York as Jo Maeder, Jay Marks, Rick Eliott for afternoons, Robert W. Walker (later became PD) and Don Cox from crosstown WMYQ, Batt Johnson, Tom Birch, Dave Dunaway, Quincy McCoy, with Earl "The Pearl" Lewis (From 13-Q Pittsburgh) and overnight guy "Mark In The Dark" Shands.

Mark was also served as music director during part of his time at Y100 and was substitute newsman on Tanner's show. John Hartman was music director during the early 1970s.

Colleen "The Vinyl Queen" Cassidy became music director/research director in 1978, moving in from Bob Pittman's station in Chicago, WMAQ. Cassidy started Y100's first call-out research department. She later became a music consultant for Miami's WPOW as well for so many other stations. The station moscot was the lovable Y100 Dolphin who was WHYI's 1st and only undersea mascot from 1973 to 2009. Marketing reports back then once showed that the dolphin logo was one of the most recognized logos in South Florida.

Tanner's morning show was considered to be the high point of Y100's programming history, along with Tanner's role as Program Director.

In 1976, Heftel sold Y100 to Metroplex Communications (Norm and Bob). In 1994 that company sold its group of stations to Clear Channel Communications (Now iHeartMedia).

In January 2004, when sister classic rock station WBGG-FM moved its branding from Big 106 to Big 105-9, WHYI-FM rebranded as Y100.7, only to revert to the old branding by mid-2006. This was to avoid confusion with former Philadelphia alternative rock station WPLY), owned by Radio One. WPLY signed off the air in 2005. By 2007, the Y100.com URL formerly used by WPLY was acquired by WHYI-FM.
Y100: morning show history

In 1982 Bill Tanner and Jim Reihle left Y100 for WASH-FM/Washington, DC. To replace them, Sonny Fox and Ron Hersey were recruited for mornings from crosstown WSHE-FM. Using a blend of parody songs, phoney commercials, and impersonations of local and national celebrities and politicians Fox, Hersey, Mark "Captain Y" Lipof, John "Footy" Cross and Mr. Mike Raffone led the morning show to its highest ratings ever.

In 1987, Hersey moved on to mornings at WNVZ-FM/Norfolk, WAPW-FM/Atlanta and KKFR-FM/Phoenix where he worked with Danny Bonaduce. Fox left the following year and moved to mornings at KHYI-FM/Dallas (Y95) with Bill Murphy and Bill Tanner's former Y100 programming secretary, Joannie Siani.
Bobby & Footy

John Kross was a presence on the locally produced morning show for a record 32 years running from 1974 to 2006, thus holding the record of longest Top 40 CHR DJ in North America (even if he was actually a radio sports reporter for most of the time). Footy also hosted the "Y100 Wing Ding", a charity event to help fight drug abuse.

Mark "Captain Y" Lipof left the show in 1993 after 17 years on-air, having produced the show and handling the duties of On-Air News Director and Traffic Reporter. He owns Lipof Advertising in Plantation, Florida.

Famous morning show character "Mike Van Driver" aka Michael Woods traveled all over the market adding to the fun on the show.

Czarnecki departed five years later to pursue a career as a local television producer. Bobby left Footy and South Florida in 1998 to head back home to Texas.