[4] Independence Broadcasting Company, the owners of WHAT (1340 AM), applied to the Federal Communications Commission for a construction permit for a new FM station on 103.5 MHz on October 5, 1945.

The FCC granted permission on December 2, 1948, for the station to begin broadcasting, by which time it had been assigned the WHAT-FM call sign.

[5] In 1956, a young disc jockey known as Sid Mark took the airwaves for the first time in Philadelphia on WHAT-AM-FM, beginning a multi-decade career.

On July 24, 1957, Independence Broadcasting applied to the FCC for a construction permit to change the station's frequency to 96.5 MHz.

On November 18, 1968, the call sign was changed to WWDB,[5] referring to the brother and sister owners of the station, William and Dolly Banks.

William Banks had no children, so several distant relatives filed lawsuits, fighting for ownership of twin stations WWDB/WHAT.

The sale, which was overseen by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), required the stations to be sold to a Black owner.

After a few months of ownership, in 1986, Regan Henry flipped WWDB, selling it to the decidedly not Black Charles Schwartz, who ran it under the name of Panache Broadcasting.

After having been nearly 100% local programming, WWDB under Mercury ownership, added more nationally syndicated personalities such as Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura.

After lawsuits filed by the Gay Alliance of Philadelphia, Beasley decided to change the format with no notice given ahead of time.

Shortly after the trade was consummated, WRDW-FM shifted to a more Mainstream Top 40 direction, though still favoring Rhythmic and Dance currents/recurrents.

During and after the trade, rumors abounded online that CBS would flip the station to all-news, this time as a simulcast of KYW.

On January 5, 2017, at 10 am, after playing "Time of Our Lives" by Pitbull, WZMP flipped to mainstream adult contemporary as Today's 96.5, launching with "Raise Your Glass" by Doylestown native P!nk.

On February 2, 2017, CBS announced that it would merge its radio division (which included WTDY-FM) with Bala Cynwyd-based Entercom.

[18][19] On March 16, 2018, the station rebranded as 96.5 TDY, shifting to a hot adult contemporary format with a larger emphasis on current music.

[21] The station also shifted back to a Top 40/CHR format, a move that followed Entercom's acquisition of former AC competitor WBEB.

"[23] At that date and time, WTDY-FM shifted back to hot adult contemporary and re-branded as "The New 96.5", with "I'm Good (Blue)" by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha being the first song played.

In September 2015, WTDY-HD3 aired Popecast, a temporary station produced by KYW to cover Pope Francis's visit to North America (which concluded in Philadelphia).