WALA came on-the-air for the first time on January 14, 1953 as Mobile's second television station. The first station, WKAB-TV, had been in the UHF band and it went off-air shortly before WALA came on. It was initially locally owned by W.O. Pape along with WALA radio (1410 AM now WLVV). It aired television programs from all four of the major networks of the time (NBC, ABC, CBS, and DuMont). WALA and WKRG-TV (on-air beginning in 1955) shared ABC programs until WEAR-TV went completely to ABC in 1959. During the late-1950s, WALA was also briefly affiliated with the NTA Film Network. Mr. Pape sold WALA in 1964 to the Roywood Corporation. In 1969, WALA was sold to the Universal Communications Corporation, the television arm of the Detroit News.