The station first signed on the air on September 29, 2011, originally maintaining a non-commercial format featuring programming focusing on African American history.
It was founded by Barbara Wade, Sheila Robertson and Gregory Talley (the latter of whom serves as the station's operations manager – with the latter two partners under their holding company, Cooper-Fowler Media, each owning 24.5% interests).
[2] The decision by the ownership group behind KSQA, LLC to broadcast the station on VHF channel 12 resulted in complaints by CBS affiliate WIBW-TV (channel 13) as after the station signed on, KSQA's over-the-air digital signal began to interfere with WIBW's Cox Communications analog cable slot on the provider's Topeka service area, which broadcast on the same frequency.
[3] Immediately upon its sign-on, KSQA, LLC invoked an option to receive must-carry status to make it mandatorily available on Cox Communications.
On June 13, 2012, the Wade/Robertson/Talley ownership group filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to invoke a must-carry request for Cox to put the station on channel 12.