It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside Spartanburg, South Carolina–licensed CBS affiliate WSPA-TV (channel 7).

[3] In 1967, the station changed its call letters to WANC; the next year, it dropped its remaining NBC programming as its ownership brought a cable system to Asheville.

Originally locally owned, even though it was licensed as a full-power outlet, the station initially operated at low-power, simulcasting WGGS-TV.

It was sold to Pappas Telecasting (which previously owned WHNS) in 1995 and began to transmit its analog signal at full-power in 1996.

At that time, Pappas entered into a local marketing agreement with CBS affiliate WSPA-TV (channel 7), which took control of WASV's programming and airtime.

Since WSPA and WHNS were among the four highest-rated stations in the market in total day viewership, the merged company would have been required to sell either WSPA or WHNS to comply with FCC ownership rules as well as recent changes to those rules regarding same-market television stations that restrict sharing agreements.

WYCW began airing Clemson Tigers football and men's basketball games in the 2023–24 academic year as part of The CW's new contract.

In 2008, news anchor Amy Wood launched the "CW Live Chat" feature during the weeknight edition of the 10 p.m. newscast.

Nexstar maintains a Capitol bureau in Columbia, covering state government issues for the company's South Carolina stations.

On March 1, 2009, WYCW began carrying sister station WSPA-TV on a second digital subchannel, due to the collapse of channel 7's broadcast tower on Hogback Mountain (southwest of Tryon, North Carolina).

As part of the SAFER Act,[15] WYCW kept its analog signal on the air until March 3 to inform viewers of the digital television transition through a loop of public service announcements from the National Association of Broadcasters.

On April 13, 2017, the FCC identified WYCW will be compensated $45.6 million to have its digital channel 45 go off-the-air as part of the spectrum auction.