Home Login RADIO ONLINE RSS Facebook
Advertisement

Judge Upholds WJBE-AM/Knoxville's FCC License


Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission

Joseph Armstrong, owner of Knoxville's only Black-owned station, WJBE-AM, has emerged victorious in a protracted battle against the FCC to retain his broadcasting license. The FCC's concerns about Armstrong centered on two main issues: his previous felony conviction and his failure to meet filing deadlines, notably neglecting to update the station's "Issues and Programs" list from 2018 to 2020.

In 2012, Armstrong acquired the AM outlet, originally established by the legendary "Godfather of Soul," James Brown. His commitment to providing a station with a Black focus in Knoxville led him to invest nearly his entire life savings into this venture. Notably, Armstrong had previously worked in sales at the station during the 1970s.

The felony conviction in question stemmed from an incident in which Armstrong, a former member of Tennessee's House of Representatives, failed to report approximately $330,000 in profits from cigarette tax stamps on his 2008 tax return. The FCC alleged that Arm & Rage LLC, Armstrong's company, failed to report this conviction by the required deadline in April, 2017 and also neglected to submit essential ownership reports and issues/programs lists.

In his defense, Armstrong argued that the felony took place 15 years before he acquired the station. He cited the FCC's 1986 Character Policy Statement, asserting that character assessments should have a ten-year limit, calculated from the date of the misconduct, not the date of conviction. Armstrong attributed the filing errors to administrative oversights and personal health issues, maintaining that there was no intention to mislead the Commission.

In a recent decision handed down by FCC Administrative Law Judge Jane Hinckley Halprin, she opted not to revoke the license held by Arm & Rage LLC. Judge Halprin ruled that the FCC's Enforcement Bureau failed to substantiate that Armstrong's prior felony conviction disqualified him or his company from holding an FCC license. She also determined that the Bureau could not demonstrate that the company's rule violations warranted the revocation of the radio license.

Judge Halprin further stated, "The Presiding Judge also concludes that the Enforcement Bureau has not proven by a preponderance of the evidence that Arm & Rage's violations of the Commission's rules, as well as the additional violations alleged by the Enforcement Bureau, either individually or in combination with Joseph Armstrong's felony, disqualify Arm & Rage from being a Commission licensee."

Advertisement

Latest Radio Stories

Triton Digital Unveils U.S. Podcast Ranker for August
Triton Digital
Triton Digital
Triton Digital has unveiled its U.S. Podcast Ranker, covering the data from July 31 to September 3. This report showcases the performance of the SiriusXM Podcast Network, which has secured the top spot in the Top Sales Networks Report for August. More

Loud Media Launches ''104.9 KVL'' Debuts in Knoxville TN
WKVL-FM/Knoxville
WKVL-FM/Knoxville
Loud Media flips Classic Hits WKVL/La Follette, covering Knoxville, to 90s & 2000s Throwbacks as "104.9 KVL." The station is playing artists such as Destiny's Child, Jay Z, Danity Kane, Digital Underground, No Doubt, Nas, New Kids On The Block, More

Veteran WBEE/Rochester Personality Terry Clifford Retires
Terry Clifford
Terry Clifford
Veteran Rochester, NY radio personality Terry Clifford signed off the air on Friday for the final time. Clifford, co-host of the "Bee Morning Coffee Club" on WBEE-FM, is retiring after 37 years on the Country outlet. The Auburn native's radio career More
Advertisement

Bonneville, Arizona Coyotes Ink One-Year Extension
KMVP-FM/Phoenix
KMVP-FM/Phoenix
Bonneville inks a one-year extension with the Arizona Coyotes, keeping regular season and post-season games on KMVP (Arizona Sports 98.7) and KTAR (ESPN 620) for the 2023-2024 NHL season. Bob Heethuis returns to handle the club's radio play-by-play More

Matt Cooper Named PD for WCYQ (100.3 The Wolf) Knoxville
Matt Cooper
Matt Cooper
SummitMedia appoints 15-year programming vet Matt Cooper as Program Director and afternoon talent for WCYQ (100.3 The Wolf). He comes to Knoxville from the company's cluster in Louisville where he was the Assistant Program Director, Music Director More

RTDNA Issues Study on Trust in Local News Elections Coverage
RTDNA
RTDNA
Most U.S. local news consumers want journalists to ask tough, but respectful, questions of candidates and regularly fact check those running for office. That was one of many key takeaways from a fact-finding research project on trust in elections More

Return to Menu

Advertisement

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Radio news and headlines delivered right to your e-mail box -- and it's free.

Advertisement

Advertisement