The Sinclair Broadcast Group acquired what was then known as KUPN (channel 21, now KHSV) and switched the station's affiliation to The WB in 1998 as part of a bulk affiliation deal, with a commiserate call change to KVWB. KFBT (now KVCW) at the other hand, was to affiliate UPN but they rejected and instead became an independent station. In the interim, UPN programming was brought in out-of-market from either Los Angeles's KCOP or New York area station WWOR on Las Vegas area cable providers, leaving no local provider of the network over-the-air. This made a public outcry for Las Vegas viewers as they unable to watch UPN programming after KFBT rejected their deal to afiliate.