WWLE has existed in two incarnations. The original WWLE came to air on November 22, 1969, as the dream of the late ABC radio newscaster William L. Edmonds; the call letters are his initials. Edmonds' widow Adeline served as WWLE's president, while their son Bill ran the news department. The station aired a big band/standards format with country programs on the weekends, broadcasting from the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson. After several years, the station faced financial troubles and was eventually bought out by investors including Angelo Martinelli, the mayor of Yonkers, New York. By 1981, the station had changed its call letters to WCRR and eventually went dark for several years.
