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Showing posts with the label FederalCommunicationsCommission

Knoxville has only one Black-owned radio station. The FCC is threatening its license.

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[ad_1] Joe Armstrong, owner of radio station WJBE in Knoxville Institute for Justice Joseph Armstrong has a criminal record, but he can vote. A former longtime Tennessee state legislator, he can receive his public pension. What he may not be able to do, a federal agency is saying, is run the radio station he's owned for more than a decade. A cornerstone of the local Black community, WJBE , 1040AM, is Knoxville's only Black-owned radio station. The station's call sign pays homage to the original station, also bearing the same name, that was once owned by "The Godfather of Soul," James Brown.  The station's rich history is actually entwined with Armstrong's own. He worked there as a salesman in the 1970s to pay his way through college at the University of Tennessee. After Brown sold WJBE in 1979, it went through multiple owners ...

Biden signs bill to ensure

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[ad_1] President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law a bill aimed at easing the cost for prisoners to call family and friends. The legislation clarifies that the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates interstate and international communications through cable, radio, television, satellite and wire, can set limits for fees on audio and video calls inside corrections facilities. Phone calls from prisons and jails are a lifeline for those incarcerated, but the cost varies widely and can be a financial drain on families already struggling to make ends meet with an adult behind bars. Right now, Kentucky has the highest cost for a 15-minute call, at $5.70, and $9.99 for a cellphone call, while New Hampshire charges only 20 cents for the same amount of time. There are more than 1.2 million people in state and federal prisons, and tens of thousands more are incarcerated in jails nationwide awaiting trial or sentencing. Less likely ...