Former Charlotte mayor and ex-convict Patrick Cannon is getting a radio show
Patrick Cannon is getting his own radio show.
Yes, that Patrick Cannon. The Patrick Cannon who became the first Charlotte mayor convicted for corruption. The Patrick Cannon who put a stack of bills to his ear and fanned them. The Patrick Cannon who was just released from federal prison in September.
Radio One Charlotte station Old School 105.3 decided it would be a good idea to give that Patrick Cannon a radio show.
Welcome Back Pat Cannon – “At The Table with Cannon” – every Saturday morning @ 9 #patcannon #atthetablewithcannon #oldschool1053 pic.twitter.com/Djp95vEP0f
— OldSchool1053 (@OldSchool1053) April 12, 2017
Cannon’s show, titled “At The Table with Cannon,” will air Saturdays at 9 a.m. starting April 15.
“In getting to know Mr. Cannon, I have found that he has a passion for this community,” Program Director Mary K said in a press release. “His show will be entertaining, but more importantly informative, providing the African American community with the voice and insights on their most pressing issues.”
#BREAKING Former CLT Mayor Patrick Cannon will host radio show “At
The Table with Cannon” on Old School 105.3 FM Release below. @SpecNEWSCLT pic.twitter.com/R7ScmueeZp— Shawn Flynn (@FlynnShawn) April 12, 2017
It’s not clear from the press release whether one of those “pressing issues” will be government corruption.
Let’s just take a step back and look at what Patrick Cannon did, shall we?
– Cannon was elected Charlotte mayor in November 2013.
– In March 2014, Cannon was arrested by the FBI and resigned just four months after taking office.
– The FBI accused him of accepting more than $50,000 in bribes, “including $20,000 in cash delivered in a briefcase last month to the mayor’s office.”
– He was sentenced to 44 months in federal prison in October 2014.
– Cannon was released from the West Virginia prison in September and began two years of supervised release in January.
Now, just a few months later, he has a radio show that will have “high community impact and thought provoking programming,” according to the release.
The press release announcing the show made no reference to Cannon’s arrest, his penchant for accepting bribes, or his voter fraud. Unless you count this from Radio One Charlotte Vice President and GM Doug James (emphasis mine): “I believe that Pat’s experience and story of tragedy to triumphant will be impactful and I’m pleased that Old School 105.3 can offer him the platform to do so.”
Read more about Cannon’s new show in this Charlotte Observer article by Katherine Peralta and Michael Gordon.
This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 12:45 AM with the headline "Former Charlotte mayor and ex-convict Patrick Cannon is getting a radio show."