WJBE(AM) Designated for Hearing Over Owner's Fraud Conviction
The FCC Media Bureau designated the license of a Tennessee AM station for hearing due to the owner’s conviction for tax fraud, said a hearing designation order (HDO) Monday. Joseph Amstrong, principal of Arm & Rage, which owns WJBE Powell,…
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is a former Tennessee state legislator. He was convicted in 2017 on charges he didn’t include a $330,000 profit on his 2008 tax filings, money that he generated by buying cigarette tax stamps and selling them after the state increased the tax rate in a bill he voted for, according to the HDO and the Knoxville News Sentinel. “In light of Armstrong’s past willingness to conceal information from another federal agency in violation of the law, we are unable to conclude on the record before us that Armstrong’s criminal convictions are not disqualifying,” said the HDO. The Media Bureau said WJBE also late-filed ownership reports and issues/program lists, and was late reporting Armstrong’s conviction to the FCC. The late filings “heighten our concern as to whether we can rely upon A&R to provide complete and accurate information to the Commission.” Armstrong in the past touted WJBE as the area’s only black-owned station. WJBE’s call sign stands for “James Brown Enterprises” and the singer was a former owner of the station. Armstrong didn’t comment.