Owned by Morgan Murphy Media, the station maintains studios on South 6th Street in downtown La Crosse, and its transmitter is located on Silver Creek Road in Galesville, Wisconsin.

Gross Telecasting sold both stations to Backe Communications in 1984, following a licensing dispute involving WJIM-TV (which changed its call letters to WLNS-TV).

Throughout its history, WKBT's news operation has tended to favor their news coverage on their home city of La Crosse, Winona, Minnesota, and the Coulee Region, with a secondary emphasis on Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley, ceding to WEAU's geographical strength overall in Eau Claire.

WKBT's transmitter, in Galesville, is located about 30 miles (48 km) north of the channel 8 studios in order to provide a clear signal to the entire market.

In October 2012, WKBT was in the national spotlight when morning news anchor Jennifer Livingston addressed a viewer who criticized her about her weight and issued an on-air commentary about bullying and being a role model.

Multiple other television stations had their EAS system hijacking with the same message on the same day, including KRTV in Great Falls, Montana, WBUP and WNMU in Marquette, Michigan, and KENW in Portales, New Mexico.