WDEO began operations in 1962 as WYNZ, a 250-watt daytimer on 1520 AM with a country format, which changed to Top 40 in 1964 and then religious programming in 1968.

[1] Kerr later spent over twenty years in New York as WPLJ's morning man (1974–96), while Huzar—better known as Jim Harper—became a Detroit radio legend, retiring from WMGC-FM at the end of 2011.

In the late 1990s, WWCM's daytime power increased to 9,200 watts, giving the station much better coverage of the metropolitan Detroit area.

Former Domino's Pizza owner Tom Monaghan purchased WWCM in 1999 and changed it to WDEO, using the same calls and Catholic format formerly heard on AM 1290 in Saline (now WLBY).

The station's studios were also moved from their longtime location on Cross Street in Ypsilanti into the Domino's Farms complex near Ann Arbor.