WTBL-CD started as W53AO, on channel 53. The station was mentioned in the April 1994 edition of Popular Communications magazine, in which it made mention of the station's attempt to be carried on the local cable television system.[1]
On April 13, 2017, the FCC identified WTBL-CD would be compensated $8.2 million to go off-the-air as part of the spectrum auction.[2] WTBL-CD ceased operations October 25, 2017;[3] its license was surrendered on October 30.[4]