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==History==
In the early 1980s, there was a need for a CBS affiliate in the Pine Belt region, as the four closest CBS affiliates to Hattiesburg, WJTV, [[WWL-TV]] in [[New Orleans]], [[WMDN-TV|WHTV]] in [[Meridian, Mississippi]], and [[WKRG-TV|WKRG]] in [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]], all had signals that failed to provide at least a Grade B signal to the city proper.<ref>"Distance Blamed for Bad Picture," Hattiesburg American, February 24, 1985, Page 3B</ref> The FCC had an allocation for channel 18 in Laurel and channel 22 in Hattiesburg, with WHTV's owner, [[Frank K. Spain]] via his company Central Television, sought the license for Hattiesburg's channel 22 slot, and Capital Television, owner of WJTV, sought Laurel's channel 18. In 1982, the FCC awarded the license to Capital Television, as the CBS agreed to an affiliation for the new channel. Delays occurred as Central Television appealed the FCC's licensing decision, and WJTV was sold to [[News-Press & Gazette Company]] one year later. By 1985, NPG agreed to purchase Spain's license for Hattiesburg's channel 22 with Spain taking a consulting fee by agreeing to help sign on the station, as NPG had, at that time, never built constructed a new TV station.<ref>"Award of area TV license appealed," Hattiesburg American, August 13, 1982, Page 3</ref><ref>"CBS transmitter may come soon," Hattiesburg American, November 3, 1985, Page 1A and 12A</ref> The channel 18 license was eventually given to the owners of low-power station [[WLHA-LD|WLHA]].
WHLT signed began programming on [[1987 in television|January 12, 1987]], bringing CBS programming to the Pine Belt for the first time, as well as giving News Press & Gazette the opportunity to take advantage of local advertising and news opportunities in the Pine Belt region.<ref>"Hattiesburg Airwaves Welcome WHLT," Hattiesburg American, January 21, 1987, Page 1B</ref> It also allowed the Jackson-based station's signal coverage area to be expanded in Southeastern Mississippi. Prior to its sign on, Hattiesburg's cable provider, UA-Columbia Cablevision, carried WJTV on its lineup, but due to marginal picture quality, the cable company switched to WKRG on September 5, 1986 after that station added a new relay, right as plans for WHLT were finalized.<ref>"Adding WKRG makes CBS worth viewing Again," Hattiesburg American, Page 8D, September 14, 1986</ref> In 1993, News-Press & Gazette sold several of its outlets (including WHLT and WJTV) to the first incarnation of [[New Vision Television]].
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