from two local residents who lived near the proposed location. Central to their complaints was the proposed tower, which they felt was "unsightly"; they were also concerned that the tower might fall. Approval was granted on the condition that the entrance/exit to the station be on Bryant Road only and that screening devices be provided between the station and adjacent residences. The building permit for the actual building then came on December 12, 1967, with approval being granted for a one-story structure on the site, built at a cost of $149,000. WBLG-TV signs-on The station launched at 9:30 a.m. on June 2, 1968, as an ABC affiliate, broadcasting from the highest above sea level tower in Kentucky. Lexington's then-Mayor Charles Wylie was on hand with White and daughter Barbara to throw the switch that brought the station on the air. WBLG-TV originally branded as "The ENTERTAINMENT Channel–62 WBLG-TV". WKYT, the former primary affiliate of ABC, became the market's CBS affiliate in January, ahead of WBLG-TV's sign-on. By the station's eighth week on the air, it had already managed to capture a 30% share of the prime time audience in the market according to a station-commissioned American Research Bureau survey, putting it on par with the other two local stations. On September 7, It Takes a Thief star Malachi Throne and Ed Allen Time host Ed Allen appeared at a public open house at the station's studios to officially "Grand Open" WBLG-TV. The FCC granted WBLG-TV its permanent license on August 5, 1970. On May 7, 1973, it was announced that WBLG-TV would be sold to New Orleans-based Starr Broadcasting Group, Inc. at a price exceeding $2 million. Starr was headed by company president Peter M. Starr, with William F. Buckley Jr. serving as Starr's chairman of the board. Starr had owned WCYB-TV in Bristol, Virginia, and radio stations in Arkansas, California, Kansas, New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas; it was also in the process of purchasing KHVH-AM-TV in Honolulu at the same time. This came after talks to merge Reeves' holdings into Starr failed. Control was transferred on November 14, 1973. WBLG radio was not affected by this sale and was subsequently sold the following summer to North Carolina-based Village Communications. WTVQ-TV New owners, new call letters The new owners immediately sought to make their mark on their new purchase. The first such step came when the present WTVQ-TV