▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁affili ation ▁swap ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁stations , ▁with ▁W J KS ▁align ing ▁with ▁ABC ▁once ▁again ▁and ▁W TL V ▁returning ▁to ▁N BC . ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁N BC ▁had ▁emer ged ▁as ▁the ▁top - r ated ▁American ▁broadcast ▁network , ▁while ▁ABC ▁had ▁dropped ▁to ▁second ▁place . ▁ ▁Los ing ▁ABC ▁and ▁gain ing ▁The ▁W B ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁B irmingham ▁ABC ▁affili ate ▁W B RC ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁New ▁World ▁Communic ations , ▁which ▁signed ▁an ▁affili ation ▁agreement ▁with ▁eleven ▁other ▁stations ▁which ▁would ▁become ▁Fox ▁affili ates . ▁W B RC ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁a ▁blind ▁trust ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁as ▁the ▁Federal ▁Communic ations ▁Commission ▁( F CC ) ▁prohib ited ▁a ▁company ▁from ▁ow ning ▁more ▁than ▁twelve ▁television ▁stations ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁That ▁station ▁was ▁were ▁sold ▁to ▁Fox ▁directly ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁but ▁Fox ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁run ▁it ▁as ▁an ▁ABC ▁affili ate ▁for ▁over ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁sale , ▁as ▁W B RC ' s ▁affili ation ▁contract ▁with ▁ABC ▁did ▁not ▁exp ire ▁until ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁Before ▁W B RC ▁became ▁a ▁Fox ▁owned - and - oper ated ▁station , ▁All brit ton ▁Communic ations ▁purchased ▁W C FT - TV ▁and ▁W JS U - TV , ▁and ▁made ▁them ▁full ▁power ▁sat