In May 1994, Detroit CBS affiliate WJBK announced that it would switch its affiliation to Fox as part of a deal between the network and New World Communications. CBS heavily approached WXYZ-TV as a replacement affiliate, but the E. W. Scripps Company renewed the station's affiliation with ABC one month later in exchange for switching the affiliations of three of its sister stations—KNXV-TV in Phoenix, WFTS-TV in Tampa and WMAR-TV in Baltimore—to the network. WDIV was not an option as that station was still in a long-term contract with NBC at the time, while WADL, WXON and WKBD were not interested in affiliating with CBS. As a result, it appeared that CBS would not have an affiliate in Detroit. The network persuaded WLNS-TV to build a translator in Ann Arbor which would serve the western portion of the market. Facing the prospect of having to import WLNS-TV, Flint affiliate WNEM-TV, and Toledo affiliate WTOL for cable subscribers, CBS agreed to purchase independent station WGPR-TV (now WWJ-TV), which became an affiliate of the network on December 11, 1994. WLNS-TV served as the default CBS affiliate for the western portion of the Detroit market until WWJ-TV built a new transmitter in 1999.