WELM signed on in 1947 as Chemung County's second radio station and the Elmira-Corning, New York market's third.
In its early years, it produced several local programs, including the 6:00 News, with newscaster Gordon M. Ridenour, from 1947-1948.
James Robert Meachem sold the station to Corning Leader Inc. for $110,000 plus a five-year employment contract.
The responses typically were clips of lyrics from popular songs (clearly influenced by Buchanan and Goodman's "Flying Saucer") Whittaker and Salois later hosted the morning show until late 1995, when they were released and the station format was changed to sports.
On January 2, 2023, WELM changed their format from sports to a simulcast of top 40/CHR-formatted WLVY 94.3 FM Elmira.
[3] The programming moved to WELM full time and the simulcast ended shortly afterward, following the consummation of the sale of WLVY to Family Life Ministries and its switch to a Christian radio format as WCIH.