After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lifted its freeze on television station assignments in 1952, it opened up new channels in the UHF band, among them channels 19, 25, and 31 for Milwaukee. Radio station WCAN (1250 AM) originally had filed for channel 12, a very high frequency (VHF) assignment, but it opted to withdraw from that contest and apply from channel 25 because three other groups also sought channel 12.
In 1952, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lifted its freeze on television station assignments, it made new UHF band channels available in Milwaukee, such as channels 19, 25, and 31. Initially, WCAN (1250 AM), which sought channel 12—a high frequency (VHF) assignment—chose to withdraw from that competition and applied for channel 25 because three other groups also wanted the same channel.