The station first signed on the air on November 1, 1953 as WJMR-TV. Founded by Supreme Broadcasting Co., a locally based company run by lawyer Chester F. Owens (who served as the company's president), it was the second television station to sign on the air in the New Orleans market (behind WDSU-TV, which signed on in December 1948) and the third in Louisiana (behind WDSU-TV and Baton Rouge's WAFB, which signed on in April 1953). Originally broadcasting on UHF channel 61, it was moved to channel 20 on July 20, 1955. When WWL-TV (channel 4) signed on in September 1957, WWL took over the CBS affiliation because of WWL radio's longtime affiliation with the CBS Radio Network, leaving WJMR with ABC.