WBFF commenced broadcast on April 11, 1971, as part of the Chesapeake Television Corporation, which was headed by Julian Sinclair Smith. It was Baltimore's second commercial UHF station and second independent station, having launched four years after WMET-TV (channel 24, frequency now taken by WUTB). Both stations broadcast general entertainment programs, but WMET's owners ran into financial difficulties and were forced to turn off channel 24 in 1972.