Founded in December 1998 and began broadcasting in September 2001, the station was originally owned by Equity Media Holdings. It started as an affiliate of Pax TV until it joined UPN in 2004, before this, UPN programming was originally seen on WPCT from 1995 to 2001. Despite this, in 1998, UPN signed a deal with Gray Television, and as a result, between 1998 and 2006, WJHG-TV in the Panama City market aired UPN programming during the overnight hours. During this period, UPN programming was also seen on Panama City-area cable services via off-market stations, including WBFS-TV in Miami and WJTC in Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida.