Armstrong Williams | |
|---|---|
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| Born | (1962-02-05)February 5, 1962 (age 64) |
| Education | South Carolina State University, (BA) |
| Occupations | TV host, nationally syndicated columnist, political activist, and entrepreneur |
| Political party | Republican |
| Website | www |
Armstrong Williams (born February 5, 1962) is an American political commentator, entrepreneur, author, and talk show host. Williams writes a nationally syndicated conservative newspaper column, has hosted a daily radio show, and hosts a nationally syndicated television program calledThe Armstrong Williams Show. He is the owner of Howard Stirk Holdings, a media company affiliated withSinclair Broadcasting that has purchased numerous television stations.
Armstrong Williams was born on February 5, 1962 inMarion, South Carolina[1] to Thelma Howard Williams and James Williams. Williams, one of 10 ten children, was reared on the family's 200 acres (81 ha)tobacco farm. Williams is the cousin of South Carolina State SenatorClementa Pinckney, who was a victim of theCharleston church shooting.[2]
Williams was known during high school to have a talent for public speaking.[3] He earned a BA in Political Science and English atSouth Carolina State University, graduating in 1981. He is a life member ofPhi Beta Sigma fraternity.[4]
After college, Williams worked in Washington DC as a presidential appointee at theU.S. Department of Agriculture, assisting rural farmers.[5] Williams served as a confidential assistant to the chairman of the USEqual Employment Opportunity Commission (and future Supreme Court Justice)Clarence Thomas.[6] Williams was a legislative aide and advisor to US Senator for South Carolina,Strom Thurmond.[1]
Later, he worked as vice-president for governmental and international affairs at B&C Associates, followed by being part of the formation of the international marketing, advertising, and media public relations consulting firm Graham Williams Group in 1991.[1][7] He is its CEO.[7]
Williams' first radio show began in 1991.[1] In 1998, he united with TheSalem Radio Network, which syndicated his national radio show to 26 of the top radio markets in the country. In 2002, he reunited with theNewark, New Jersey-based Talk America Radio Network. Williams joined the lineup atWWRL 1600 AM in March 2005 as co-host with Sam Greenfield onDrive Time Dialogue.[8]
Williams began hostingThe Armstrong Williams Show, a nightly talk show in 2008 onXM Satellite Radio Power 128 (nowSiriusXM Urban View).[9]
Williams was a political analyst for Sinclair Broadcasting Group's TV programNews Central.[10]
Williams has hosted numerous TV shows. His showThe Right Side with Armstrong Williams began in 1995.[1][11][3] From 2002 to 2005, he hostedOn Point with Armstrong Williams on cable networkTV One.[citation needed] He hosts a syndicated television show,The Armstrong Williams Show.[12] He hostedThe Right Side Forum.[13]
Williams has written a syndicated newspaper column.[14]
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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcast media |
| Founded | April 11, 2013; 12 years ago (2013-04-11) |
| Founder | Armstrong Williams |
| Headquarters | Washington DC ,US |
| Owner | Armstrong Williams |
| Parent | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Website | www |
On December 4, 2014, the FCC approved the transfer of station licenses forWMMP,Charleston, South Carolina,WCFT-TV,Tuscaloosa, Alabama, andWJSU-TV,Anniston, Alabama, from Sinclair to Howard Stirk Holdings. Under the arrangement, HSH would operate their future acquisitions as an independent broadcaster, forgoing agreements with third parties.[15][16][17] On January 28, 2015,Intermountain West Communications Company filed to sellKVMY to Howard Stirk Holdings.[18] The transaction was finalized on October 30.[19] Howard Stirk Holdings revealed in its January 2015 application to purchaseLas Vegas stationKVMY that it again planned to acquire theWLYH-TV license fromNexstar Broadcasting Group; that sale was completed on November 12, 2015.[20] These transactions made Williams the largest African-American owner of television stations in the US at the time.[15] In 2019,Byron Allen surpassed Williams with his purchase of most of the assets ofHeartland Media.[21]
On April 24, 2018, Sinclair announced that as part of its merger withTribune Media, Howard Stirk Holdings would acquire the Sinclair-ownedKUNS-TV inSeattle andKMYU inSt. George, Utah, as well as the Tribune-ownedKAUT-TV inOklahoma City.[22] This transaction was canceled once the Tribune deal collapsed in August 2018.[citation needed]
| City of license /market | Station |
| Primary network affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston–Tuscaloosa–Birmingham, Alabama | WGWW | 40 (9) | 2015 | H&I |
| WSES | 33 (33) | 2015 | H&I | |
| Saginaw–Flint, Michigan | WEYI-TV1 | 25 (30) | 2013 | Roar |
| Las Vegas,Nevada | KHSV | 21 (2) | 2015 | MeTV |
| Lebanon–Lancaster–York–Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | WXBU | 15 (23) | 2015 | Univision |
| Charleston, South Carolina | WGWG | 4 (34) | 2015 | MeTV |
| Florence–Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | WWMB1 | 21 (21) | 2013 | Roar |
In January 2005,USA Today reported that documents obtained under theFreedom of Information Act (NCLB) revealed that Williams had been paid $240,000 to promote the controversialNo Child Left Behind Act.USA Today reported that Williams was hired "to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same."[23] As part of the agreement, Williams was required "to regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts", and to interview Education SecretaryRod Paige for TV and radio spots that aired during the show in 2004.[23] The contract with Williams was part of a $950,000 contract between the US Department of Education and the public relations companyKetchum Inc.[24]
After theUSA Today revelations,Tribune Media Services (TMS) terminated its syndication agreement with Williams. In a statement toEditor & Publisher (E&P), TMS stated: "[A]ccepting compensation in any form from an entity that serves as a subject of his weekly newspaper columns creates, at the very least, the appearance of a conflict of interest. Under these circumstances, readers may well ask themselves if the views expressed in his columns are his own, or whether they have been purchased by a third party."[25] In response, Williams initially toldE&P that he intended self-syndicate his column.[26]E&P contacted 10 newspapers listed as clients on Williams's website to ask if they would continue to carry the column; the majority stated that they would not.[26] Williams later told theAssociated Press, "Even though I'm not a journalist—I'm a commentator—I feel I should be held to the media ethics standard. My judgment was not the best. I wouldn't do it again, and I learned from it."[27]
On September 30, 2005, theGovernment Accountability Office released a report concluding that the Department of Education had acted illegally in making the payments because the government's role in the public relations effort was not disclosed.[28]
Williams has settledsexual harassment lawsuits, one in 1997[29] and another in 2017.[30]
Williams was a longtime associate of USDepartment of Housing and Urban Development SecretaryBen Carson[31] and was an influential surrogate during Carson's 2016 presidential campaign.[32] He was a member-at-large of the board of the Carson Scholars Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.[33][34]
Other boards on which he has served include:Childhelp USA, the newspaperWashington Afro-American,Independence Federal Savings Bank, andNewsmax.[1] Williams was listed as a director of Independence Federal Savings Bank. However it is no longer operational. It faced financial difficulties and was placed under regulatory oversight, and in 2009, theOffice of Thrift Supervision issued a cease and desist order to the bank, citing various operational issues; Williams was among the signatures listed as a director at that time.[35]
In 2004, Williams was appointed by US PresidentGeorge W. Bush to the President's Commission on White House Fellows,[36] which chooses White House Fellows.[37]
Williams received an honorary doctorate from his alma materSouth Carolina State University in 2021.[38]
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