Since 1939, the legacy of Edmund S. Long can be seen in the family’s continued ownership of a Class B AM and its FM translator, and an independent full-power television station covering 22 counties encompassing the Charlotte television market.
Thanks to Kalil & Co., which served as the exclusive broker in the transaction, Long Communications LLC has formally parted ways with its TV operation.
For $12 million, Long is transferring the license of WHKY-14 in Hickory, N.C., to Family Worship Center Church.
That’s the Louisiana-based Ministry headed by the famed Rev. Jimmy Swaggart.
The transaction officially closed on Monday (4/24), giving Swaggart’s entity a station that enjoys coverage via cable television services across the Charlotte market and on both DirecTV and Dish.
WHKY-TV signed on the air on February 14, 1968. A change in call letters will take place upon closing.
For listeners and employees of WHKY Radio, there are no changes in the works. WHKY-AM and its FM translator offer “TalkRadio for the Greater Hickory Metro.” The station’s signal covers an area to the northwest of Charlotte and does not reach the metro area of the state’s biggest city.
Serving as Long’s legal counsel in this transaction is Joe Chautin III of Hardy, Carey, Chautin & Balkin. John C. Trent served as the legal counsel for the buyer.
