| Hickory/Charlotte, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Branding | WHKY-TV 14 |
| Channels | Digital: 40 (UHF) |
| Subchannels | 14.1: Ind. 14.2: RTV 14.3: Tuff TV 14.4: My Family TV |
| Affiliations | independent |
| Owner | Long Communications, LLC |
| First air date | February 14, 1968 |
| Call letters' meaning | HicKorY |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 14 (1968-2009) |
| Transmitter power | 600 kW |
| Height | 182 m |
| Facility ID | 65919 |
| Website | WHKY.com |
WHKY-TV is an independent television station in Hickory, North Carolina that serves the northwestern corner of the Charlotte media market locally referred to as "The Unifour." Owned and operated by Long Communications, LLC (which also owns Hickory radio station WHKY-AM), WHKY-TV broadcasts on UHF digital channel 40 (virtual channel 14).
WHKY-TV commenced broadcasting on February 14, 1968, and is now North Carolina's oldest independent TV station. The station's current schedule consists primarily of locally-produced religious and entertainment shows; paid programming and content from Jewelry Television; and a twice-nightly local newscast, Unifour Tonight, which is hosted by Jim Karas.
During the 1980s, channel 14 aired Cincinnati Reds baseball.
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In 2002, WHKY-TV installed two new antennas, installing not only one for digital programming but another to replace its older NTSC analog antenna. The latter antenna helped WHKY-TV's analog signal cover the far northern corner of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. As a result, the station was added to Time Warner Cable's Charlotte/Mecklenburg system under must-carry rules. The station also began identifying as "Hickory/Charlotte" in its on-air legal identification.
In 2004, WHKY-TV was able to increase its analog power to 2 million watts. On February 14, 2009, the station converted to digital-only broadcasting.[1]
Today, WHKY-TV's digital signal now operates at 600,000 watts, roughly equivalent to 1.2 million watts for an analog transmitter. However, even in digital it only provides rimshot coverage of Mecklenburg County and doesn't cover Charlotte at all. The station currently has a construction permit to boost its power to 950,000 watts, which will give it at least grade B coverage of Charlotte and most of the inner-ring Charlotte suburbs. Even though it has expired, viewers have reported that the transmitter has been turned on and that they are seeing WHKY.[2]
WHKY-TV's signal also airs on Charter Communications cable channel 7 (in the Hickory area) and Time Warner Cable channel 18 (in the Charlotte area). In June 2006, the station's signal first appeared on Dish Network and DirecTV's Charlotte feeds, expanding the station’s reach to cover 2 million people in North and South Carolina.
| Channel | Name | Video | Aspect | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14.1 | WHKYDT | 480i | 4:3 | Main WHKY-TV programming |
| 14.2 | Retro Television Network | |||
| 14.3 | Tuff TV | |||
| 14.4 | My Family TV |
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