[3]: 243  Originally broadcasting on VHF channel 9, it was the second television station to sign on in the Louisville market and the Commonwealth of Kentucky (after NBC affiliate WAVE-TV, which started in November 1948).

Even though WHAS-TV's construction permit was issued in 1946, before WAVE-TV's (1947), the Bingham family waited until the new TV facility was finished to go on the air.

Nearly three decades later as mentioned on September 8, 1990, channel 11 terminated its prolonged relationship with CBS and rejoined ABC, this time as an exclusive affiliate of the network, of which it remains to this day.

Channel 11 has seen some struggles over the years during television seasons when ABC suffers from a weaker-rated schedule, while WLKY's ties to CBS have boosted that station through most of the 2000s.

[19] Shortly afterward, Sander Media filed with the FCC to transfer WHAS-TV's license to Tegna's Belo Kentucky, Inc.;[20] the acquisition was completed on December 3, 2015.

The program debuted in September 2011, replacing longtime 9 a.m. slotholder Live with Kelly, and is formatted as a mix of interviews and paid demonstration segments.

It also originated one of the nation's longest-running public service programs, Moral Side of the News, featuring a local interfaith clergy panel discussing the week's events in the light of faith.

However, after the Triple Crown races moved to NBC in 2001, WHAS-TV lost the Kentucky Derby rights to that network's Louisville affiliate, WAVE.

Channel 11, through ABC, regained the rights to the Belmont Stakes in 2006, and the station also simulcast the 2006 Breeders' Cup from Churchill Downs that aired on ESPN.

In May 2014, WHAS-TV and NBC affiliate WAVE were granted rights to Atlantic Coast Conference football and basketball coverage provided by the Raycom Sports–operated ACC Network.

During the May 2006 ratings period, WHAS-TV placed fourth at 11 p.m. (behind syndicated reruns of Sex and the City on Fox affiliate WDRB (channel 41)); however by May 2007, it had regained the runner-up spot behind WLKY.

On August 24, 2009, WHAS-TV became the second station in the Louisville market (after WAVE) to begin broadcasting its local newscasts in a widescreen picture format.

The WBKI-TV broadcast was presented in 4:3 standard definition as that station did not have a modernized master control facility to allow the program to be transmitted in native widescreen.

[27] A still screen noting the Wazoo termination remained on 11.3 until November 21, when it was replaced by a live image of the station's Doppler radar system.

[28][29] WHAS-TV, along with WAVE and WLKY, is available on the Frankfort Plant Board's cable system serving Kentucky's state capital.

[30] On December 20, 2017, the Frankfort Plant Board announced that it would drop WHAS and competitor WAVE on January 1, 2018 in order to curb rising retransmission consent costs that were being passed on to its customers.

[38] WLKY would eventually be dropped from the Insight Communications lineup in Bowling Green on February 1, 2007, when NBC affiliate WNKY launched a CBS-affiliated second digital subchannel.