Knox news sentinel comic strip in bleachers11/16/2023 He retired from the state House of Representatives after the conviction. He was sentenced to three years probation, six months of house arrest, 300 hours of community service, fined $40,000 and ordered to pay about $100,000 in restitution. Prosecutors said Armstrong conspired with his accountant to hide the profit from a cigarette tax stamp hike that Armstrong helped pass when he served in the Tennessee General Assembly from 1988 to 2016. He took ownership of the station in 2012, and was convicted in 2016 of one felony count of fraud and false statements for filing a false federal income tax return in 2008. This is bigger than me."Īrmstrong, who takes no salary from the radio station, said his commitment is rooted in his desire to give back to the community. "To come back and question my ability to run this station is a knee-jerk reaction on their part. How long does a person have to bear the cross? I've paid my debt to society," Armstrong said. "We've got an impeccable record at this station. In an exclusive interview with Knox News, Armstrong said he was shocked to receive a notice from the FCC in March despite not having had any prior complaints or infractions from the government agency, listeners or advertisers in a decade. OPINION: Urban renewal planners didn't care about destroying Black structures In other news: Knoxville policing continues to harm our Black community - here's hoping for change The station, owned in the 1960s and '70s by James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," has been a cultural touchpoint for Black radio listeners in East Tennessee for generations. The FCC asserts Armstrong, a former state representative, potentially violated its ownership rules because he was convicted in 2016 for filing a false income tax return and failed to disclose the conviction in two separate applications to renew the license. The future of WJBE as Knoxville's only Black-owned radio station is in jeopardy as the Federal Communications Commission plans to examine whether owner Joe Armstrong's license should be revoked. Watch Video: WJBE owner Joe Amstrong shares his feelings on the FCC's attempt to revoke licensing
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