WAFF made a controversial decision in the mid-1980s to preempt Late Night with David Letterman (and on Fridays, Friday Night Videos) in favor of evangelist Jimmy Swaggart's daily half-hour program at 11:30 p.m. for several years, largely to cater to the area's conservative religious population and in the likelihood that it would bring in more money than local ad revenues would for Letterman's show. The station opted to sign off at midnight rather than tape delay the NBC shows for later airing.
WAFF made a controversial decision in the mid-1980s to prioritize Jimmy Swaggart's program over David Letterman and Friday Night Videos, hoping to attract conservative viewers and increase revenue through advertising. The station chose to end its broadcasts at midnight rather than delay the NBC shows for later airing.