WWJS

WWJS is a full-power religious television station on virtual channel 14 serving Hickory, the Unifour region of North Carolina, and the wider Charlotte, North Carolina, media market. The station began broadcasting on February 14, 1968, under the call sign WHKY-TV as a sister outlet to WHKY radio, then owned by Long Communications of Hickory. Its original service area centered on the communities around Hickory and Catawba County, although the station also developed programming and signal coverage relevant to the larger Charlotte market. During its earlier years, WHKY-TV operated as an independent local station. Its schedule included locally produced religious and entertainment programs, paid programming, selected syndicated content, and, during the 1980s, broadcasts of Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball games. The station also maintained a secondary relationship with NBC, carrying some network programs that were not shown by Charlotte's primary NBC affiliate at the time. Local news was another part of its identity: before the 2023 ownership change, the station aired weekday newscasts at 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., with a strong emphasis on crime reports and notices concerning wanted fugitives in Hickory and Catawba County. That news operation continued online through WHKY's associated digital outlets after the television station changed ownership. The station expanded its technical and commercial reach in the 2000s. In 2002, it installed separate antennas for its digital service and for replacement of its older analog antenna. The improved analog coverage reached farther into northern Mecklenburg County, helping the station obtain a must-carry claim on Time Warner Cable systems in the Charlotte area. It subsequently began identifying itself in legal announcements as serving the Hickory–Charlotte area. In 2004, its analog transmitter power was increased to two million watts. In June 2006, WHKY-TV was added to the Charlotte local channel lineups of Dish Network and DirecTV, extending potential reach to approximately two million viewers in North and South Carolina, according to contemporary station descriptions. Further technical changes followed the digital transition. The digital transmitter was moved to Bakers Mountain in 2011, with effective radiated power increased to 950,000 watts. The station also added a fill-in translator near Charlotte Motor Speedway to improve local reception. WHKY-TV ended analog broadcasting on February 14, 2009, and retained virtual channel 14 while using UHF channel 40 for its post-transition digital signal. Its multiplexed service carried a changing mixture of entertainment, shopping, religious, and specialty networks, including Retro TV, My Family TV, PBJ, Heartland, This TV, Tuff TV, Jewelry Television, Charge!, TBD, SonLife, Defy TV, and TrueReal at different times. A major change occurred in 2023. On February 15, the planned sale of WHKY-TV to Family Worship Center Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, led by pastor Jimmy Swaggart, was announced for a reported price of $12 million. The transaction closed on April 25, 2023. Long Communications retained WHKY radio, its FM translator, and the WHKY call sign, while the television station adopted the call sign WWJS on June 7, 2023. Under SonLife Broadcasting Network ownership, the station became a primary-market outlet for SonLife religious programming across the Charlotte area. This replaced its earlier independent/local programming identity with a more focused religious-broadcasting model and gave SonLife a full-power main-channel presence in a region associated with several prominent American televangelism organizations.

WWJS began broadcasting as WHKY-TV on February 14, 1968. It was established as a sister station to WHKY radio, which operated at 1290 AM, under the ownership of Long Communications in Hickory, North Carolina. The station's initial purpose was to serve Hickory, Catawba County, and the surrounding Unifour communities with an independent local television service. For much of its first twenty-five years, WHKY-TV concentrated on the Unifour rather than positioning itself primarily as a Charlotte station. Its programming combined local productions, religious programs, entertainment, paid programming, and selected outside content. During the 1980s, it carried Cincinnati Reds baseball games and also served as a secondary NBC outlet, showing programs that Charlotte's principal NBC station, then WPCQ-TV, did not air. The station's technical development gradually broadened its market. In 2002, WHKY-TV installed a new digital antenna and replaced its older analog antenna. The improved analog facility reached farther toward northern Mecklenburg County, which helped the station secure must-carry treatment on Time Warner Cable systems in the Charlotte area. The station began using Hickory–Charlotte language in its legal identifications, reflecting its expanding regional role. In 2004, analog transmitter power was raised to two million watts. Two years later, the station was added to Charlotte-area local channel packages on Dish Network and DirecTV, extending its potential audience across portions of North and South Carolina. WHKY-TV continued adapting its transmission facilities during the digital era. Its digital transmitter moved to Bakers Mountain in 2011 and operated with 950,000 watts of effective radiated power. A fill-in translator was also constructed near Charlotte Motor Speedway. The station ended analog transmission on February 14, 2009, before the originally scheduled national deadline, while maintaining virtual channel 14 through its digital signal. Over time, its multicast configuration carried a succession of third-party networks and services, including shopping, classic television, family programming, music-oriented entertainment, religious programming, and other specialty channels. The main service also moved to 720p high definition in 2012, with later high-definition shopping programming appearing during portions of the schedule. Before the 2023 transaction, the station's schedule was largely built around locally produced religious and entertainment shows, paid programming, and a limited amount of syndicated material. Its local weekday newscasts aired at 5:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. and were known for crime reports and fugitive notices concerning Hickory and Catawba County. The associated news content continued to be streamed online through WHKY-related web and video outlets after the television station was sold. On February 15, 2023, Family Worship Center Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, announced an agreement to acquire WHKY-TV for a reported $12 million. The church is led by Jimmy Swaggart and operates the SonLife Broadcasting Network. The transaction closed on April 25. Long Communications kept WHKY radio, its FM translator, and the WHKY call sign, while the television station changed its call sign to WWJS on June 7. The new ownership made SonLife programming the station's central identity and provided the network with a full-power main-channel outlet in the Charlotte market. WWJS therefore represents both the continuation of a long-running Hickory television license and a transition from an independently programmed local station to a religious network-owned broadcaster.

• 2023

  Acquisition by Family Worship Center Church

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  Family Worship Center Church acquired the station, and Long Communications retained the WHKY radio properties.

• 2023

  Call sign changed to WWJS

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  The television station adopted the WWJS call sign on June 7 after the ownership transfer.

• 2012

  Main channel upgraded to high definition

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  The main channel began broadcasting in 720p high definition.

• 2011

  Digital transmitter moved to Bakers Mountain

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  The digital transmitter was relocated to Bakers Mountain and its effective radiated power was increased.

• 2009

  Analog broadcasting ends

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  The station shut down its analog signal and continued digitally on UHF channel 40 with virtual channel 14.

• 2006

  Satellite distribution begins in Charlotte

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  Dish Network and DirecTV added the station to Charlotte-area local channel lineups.

• 2004

  Analog transmitter power increased

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  WHKY-TV increased its analog transmitter power to two million watts.

• 2002

  Antenna modernization and expanded cable eligibility

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  The station installed new digital and analog antennas, improving coverage toward Charlotte and supporting a must-carry claim on area cable systems.

• 1980

  Sports and secondary NBC programming

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1980s, WHKY-TV carried Cincinnati Reds baseball and some NBC programs not shown by Charlotte's primary NBC affiliate.

• 1968

  Station launches as WHKY-TV

  [1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  The station began broadcasting on February 14 as WHKY-TV, a sister station to WHKY radio in Hickory.

A regional broadcast television station positioned around religious programming and broad over-the-air, cable, satellite, and digital-multicast distribution, with historical roots as an independent local station serving Hickory and the Unifour.

• Broadcast television station · 1968

  WWJS Channel 14

  The station's principal over-the-air television service, licensed to Hickory and identified by virtual channel 14. Under SonLife ownership, the main channel is centered on religious programming and serves the Unifour and Charlotte-area audience.

• Religious television programming · 2023

  SonLife Broadcasting Network programming

  Religious programming supplied through the SonLife Broadcasting Network, which became the station's principal programming identity after Family Worship Center Church completed its acquisition in 2023.

• Multicast television · 2009

  Digital multicast services

  WWJS has historically multiplexed several additional digital channels. Services carried at different times included Jewelry Television, Retro TV, My Family TV, PBJ, Heartland, This TV, Tuff TV, Charge!, TBD, SonLife, Defy TV, and TrueReal.

• Local television news

  Local news and community information

  Before the 2023 sale, the station produced weekday local newscasts focused on Hickory and Catawba County, including crime coverage and fugitive notices. Related content continued online through WHKY-associated digital outlets.

• 2023

  Sell the television station to Family Worship Center ChurchM&A

  Background

  Long Communications agreed to transfer the television operation while retaining its WHKY radio properties.

  Action taken

  Family Worship Center Church acquired the station for a reported $12 million, with the transaction closing on April 25.

  Aftermath

  The station changed its call sign to WWJS and became a primary-market SonLife Broadcasting Network outlet.

  Reported acquisition price. $12 million transaction value (Announced February 15, 2023; completed April 25, 2023)

  Source

• 2011

  Relocate and strengthen the digital transmission facilityGeneration change

  Background

  The station sought stronger digital coverage across its expanded regional service area.

  Action taken

  WWJS moved its digital transmitter to Bakers Mountain, increased effective radiated power, and added a fill-in translator near Charlotte Motor Speedway.

  Aftermath

  The upgraded facilities improved the station's digital reach in the Hickory and Charlotte regions.

  Source

• 2002

  Expand the station toward CharlotteStrategy

  Background

  Improved antenna facilities increased WHKY-TV's reach into northern Mecklenburg County and strengthened its relevance to the Charlotte market.

  Action taken

  The station installed new digital and replacement analog antennas and pursued must-carry treatment on Charlotte-area cable systems.

  Aftermath

  The station gained broader cable distribution and began using Hickory–Charlotte identification in its legal announcements.

  Source

• 2023

  WHKY-TV sale to Family Worship Center Church announced[1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The planned sale of WHKY-TV to Family Worship Center Church, the Baton Rouge-based organization associated with Jimmy Swaggart and SonLife Broadcasting Network, was announced at a reported purchase price of $12 million.

• 2023

  Ownership transfer of WHKY-TV completed[1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The sale closed on April 25, transferring the television station from Long Communications to Family Worship Center Church. Long Communications retained WHKY radio and related call-sign rights.

• 2023

  WHKY-TV changed its call sign to WWJS[1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Following the ownership change, the station adopted the WWJS call sign on June 7, 2023, and became a SonLife Broadcasting Network outlet.

• 2021

  SonLife added to a WHKY digital subchannel[1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  SonLife Broadcasting Network began appearing on digital subchannel 14.7, preceding the later conversion of the station's main-channel identity to WWJS.

• 2009

  WHKY-TV completed its analog shutdown[1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation

  The station ended analog broadcasting on UHF channel 14 and continued digital operation using UHF channel 40 while retaining virtual channel 14.

• 2006

  WHKY-TV expanded Charlotte-area distribution[1]WWJSen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The station became available on Dish Network and DirecTV local channel lineups serving Charlotte, increasing its potential regional reach.

1. 1WWJSen.wikipedia.org