On October 5, 1998, WVBK-LP, along with parent station WVBG-LP, became a UPN affiliate; it already carried the UPN Kids block, but the network's prime time programming had previously been seen in the Capital District through secondary affiliations with WXXA-TV and Pax station WYPX-TV (channel 55), as well as cable carriage of WSBK-TV from Boston. The lineup of UPN and syndicated programming was supplemented by several sports packages, including Big East football and basketball, the Boston Red Sox (the telecasts of which were dropped following a territorial complaint by the New York Yankees), and the Boston Celtics.
