[6] It also faced issues carving out an identity for itself and its mission, with standard PBS fare airing during much of the day; in 1983, its budget was one-third that of WETA-TV.

Even as the station tried to significantly step up fundraising,[8] its treatment as another academic department, requiring a different style of management, often hurt WHMM-TV.

[13] The station's ATSC 1.0 channels are carried on the multiplexed signal of WJLA-TV: WHUT began broadcasting in digital in 2007.

[17] WHUT became the Washington market's second ATSC 3.0 lighthouse station on December 15, 2021, joining Sinclair Broadcast Group's WIAV-CD (channel 58).

WHUT's ATSC 3.0 signal carries its own main programming feed as well as those of Washington's four major network affiliates.

As required by FCC rules, WHUT's two subchannels relocated to the signal of Sinclair's WJLA-TV (channel 7) to continue ATSC 1.0 service to existing receivers.