WMFE was launched on 15th March 1965 at the Mid-Florida Tech campus, before later moving to Orlando in 1978. It was run by Orange County Public Schools from 1967 until the early 1970s, when it was taken over by Community Communications. However, financial difficulties in 2010 led to a decision to sell the station in 2011, initially to the Daystar Television Network, but after concerns over maintaining a non-commercial license this fell through and in 2012 the University of Central Florida bought the station and it was renamed to WUCF on 26th September 2012.

The channel first aired Doctor Who from 1985 to 1994, and then broadcast the Christopher Eccleston series alongside other PBS stations in 2007; however, it did not take up options to continue the series beyond the first, citing audiences as being too small to justify the expense.