“Award-winning, listener supported The Light FM was founded by Billy and Ruth Graham in 1962.”
Now, the non-commercial Worship Music-focused operation is adding an AM with an FM translator in the Greensboro market.
In a transaction valued at $335,000, Class D daytimer WSMX-AM 1500 in Winston-Salem, N.C., is being sold to The Light FM operator Blue Ridge Broadcasting.
The seller is Truth Broadcasting Company, the entity led by President is Stuart Epperson Jr. He is the nephew of Ed Atsinger III, CEO of Salem Media Group. And, in Salem’s words, Truth “is a current customer of the company.”
Epperson also serves as a Salem board member.
Importantly, WSMX enjoys “AM revitalization” thanks to FM translator W235CY at 94.9 MHz, giving it coverage 24/7 over Winston-Salem proper. When in operation, WSMX also covers the city; it must sign off the air after dark to protect Hubbard Broadcasting’s WFED-AM 1500 in Washington, D.C.
Blue Ridge has made a $16,000 escrow deposit. Once closing is complete, The Truth Network will be replaced with The Light FM on the translator and its AM parent.
WSMX joins WMIT in Black Mountain, N.C., and WFGW in Norris, Tenn., as Blue Ridge-owned stations.
