It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside Mobile-licensed CBS affiliate WKRG-TV (channel 5).

Prior to the station's sign-on, WFNA's call letters were originally planned to be WGMP (standing for "Gulf Shores, Mobile, Pensacola").

The station changed its call letters to WFNA in October 2009, as part of a larger rebranding campaign that took effect on December 18.

Because Media General already owned CBS affiliate WKRG-TV (channel 5), the companies planned to either sell WALA or WKRG to comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ownership rules as well as planned changes to those rules regarding same-market television stations which would prohibit sharing agreements.

[8] Oddly, Meredith retained the domain for WFNA's website, and until the Nexstar merger closed the station had no site, even for minimum FCC and Equal Opportunity Employer disclosures.

In June 2016, WFNA introduced a prime time newscast produced by WKRG, CW 55 News at 9; it is focused primarily on the Pensacola portion of the market.

Because it was granted an original construction permit after the FCC finalized the DTV allotment plan on April 21, 1997,[11] WBPG did not receive a companion channel for a digital television station.