The Federal Communications Commission is taking steps to revoke the license of Knoxville’s only Black-owned radio station, WJBE, after questioning whether its current owner “possesses the requisite character qualifications” to control the frequency.
The FCC’s actions come nearly six years after the criminal conviction of WJBE’s owner, Joe Armstrong, a former long-serving state representative from East Tennessee who was found guilty in 2016 of making a false statement on his tax return.
(READ MORE: Tennessee lawmaker convicted of felony tax fraud)
Armstrong and his attorney are questioning why the federal agency is only now invoking its character clause for radio license holders. Armstrong voluntarily disclosed his conviction to the FCC in 2017 and has since completed his sentence, which included house arrest, probation, community service and paying back the IRS; his conviction also disqualified him from holding public office.
(READ MORE: State Rep. Joe Armstrong quits while facing ouster from House colleagues)