KLMG-TV was the first television station to sign on in the Tyler-Longview market in over 30 years, filling the void left by KTVE, the first station to sign on in the area, which had shut down in 1955. Despite being a CBS affiliate, KLMG-TV faced challenges in its early years due to the lack of UHF tuners on most televisions. Many viewers in the East Texas area were unable to tune in to the station due to their inability to receive UHF signals. It wasn't until the Federal Communications Commission passed the All-Channel Receiver Act in 1961, requiring manufacturers to include UHF tuners on all televisions, and the inclusion of UHF tuners on all newer sets in 1964, that KLMG-TV was able to reach a wider audience. Prior to the launch of KLMG-TV, CBS programming was only available on KLTV (channel 7) as a joint primary affiliate, alongside NBC and ABC programming.