WLRN-FM

WLRN-FM/WKWM
City WLRN-FM: Miami, Florida
WKWM: Marathon, Florida
Broadcast area WLRN-FM: South Florida
WKWM: Florida Keys
Branding WLRN Radio
Slogan Public Radio for South Florida and the Florida Keys
Frequency WLRN-FM: 91.3 MHz (also on HD Radio)
WKWM: 91.5 MHz
First air date WLRN-FM: 1948
WKWM: September 2008
Format Public radio
HD2: Classical music
ERP WLRN-FM: 47,000 watts
WKWM: 12,000 watts
HAAT WLRN-FM: 285 meters
WKWM: 140.8 meters
Class WLRN-FM: C1
WKWM: C3
Facility ID WLRN-FM: 66339
WKWM: 122606
Callsign meaning WLRN-FM: We LeaRN
WKWM: Key West Marathon
Affiliations NPR
Owner Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Webcast Listen Live
Website wlrn.org

WLRN-FM is a class C1 FM station on 91.3 and is the main public radio station for South Florida and the Keys based in Miami. The station is owned by the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and is the area's NPR member station.

WLRN first signed on in 1948 as WTHS-FM, on 91.7 MHz. The station later moved to 91.3, changing the calls to WLRN-FM. It was a charter member of NPR in 1970, and is the longest running NPR member in Florida.

Its HD2 service was WLRN Xtra HD, "South Florida’s Alternative News and Talk Station", featuring talk programming by day and BBC World Service at night. Until December 2, 2007, HD2 carried "Classical 24", which offered classical music 24 hours per day. Classical 24 has since moved to another public radio station, WKCP 89.7 FM, after that station's acquisition by Classical 24's parent, American Public Media. But 89.7 was sold to K-LOVE On July 17. Classical music has returned to WLRN's HD-2 as of August 10, 2015. Employees are part of AFSCME union local 1187 contract .

The station also maintains its long-time radio reading service for the blind on an analog subcarrier.

The school board also owns WLRN-TV, the secondary PBS member for South Florida.

Translators

Since the mid-1990s, the station has had five broadcast translator stations, evenly spaced down the Florida Keys. Listed from northeast to southwest, they are:

These stations do not yet appear to carry HD Radio.

In late September 2008, WLRN launched a full-powered, class C3, 12 kW station, WKWM 91.5, in Marathon, Florida, which simulcasts WLRN programming for the southern Keys.

101.9, NPR For The Palm Beaches

WLRN-FM also programs W270AD 101.9 in West Palm Beach, Florida, a repeater owned by owned by Educational Media Foundation (EMF) and programmed separately as 101.9, NPR For The Palm Beaches; this signal is also simulcast on the HD2 digital signal of EMF's K-Love outlet, WFLV 90.7 FM.

On October 16, 2015, it was announced that WLRN-FM would lease the HD2 of WFLV and the translator W270AD from EMF, relaunching Classical South Florida's NPR service for the region, "WPBI News", as "101.9, NPR For The Palm Beaches" in November 2015.[1] This followed EMF's purchase of WFLV from Classical South Florida who, along with its other outlets WDLV, WMLV and W214BD, was sold to EMF and became affiliates of its K-Love contemporary Christian network.[2] W270AD was programmed as a low-powered and HD2 digital NPR affiliate for the Palm Beaches since Classical South Florida's purchase of then-NPR affiliate WXEL-FM in 2011.

Controversy

1) In June 2011, WLRN dropped ties with the Florida Public Radio Network, a statewide network of public radio stations designed to provide coverage of the Florida Legislature and other Florida-relevant issues, partly in response to its producer, WFSU-FM in Tallahassee, receiving $2.8 million in funding for various services related to Florida government, including $497,522 for "statewide government and cultural affairs programming", which includes the Florida Public Radio Network. This is despite the $4.8 million of funding to other public radio and television stations (including WLRN radio and television) vetoed by Governor Rick Scott in May 2011. In its place, WLRN will join the joint partnership between the St. Petersburg Times and The Miami Herald in coverage of state issues from the papers' Tallahassee bureau.[3]

2) WLRN management cut the hours of some long-time core workers at the radio and television stations, supposedly because of Obamacare in 2013, see Miami New Times. WLRN executives refuse to show their owner Miami-Dade County Public School Board public finance records about Friends of WLRN, Inc. and subsidiaries: South Florida Public Media Company., and ZG PUBLIC MEDIA, LLC

3) There have been several unexplained firings and departures, questionable management decisions have triggered multiple investigations and audits, including unfair labor practices and violations and current IRS investigation, and union busting.

References

  1. ↑ WLRN To Operate NPR For Palm Beaches - Radio Insight
  2. ↑ Classical South Florida Flips to K-Love
  3. ↑ St. Petersburg Times: "Gov. Rick Scott's veto of public TV and radio funds spares capital's WFSU", June 6, 2011.

2. WLRN / Miami Herald News - A progress report on 3 month construction project still not complete after 4 years

3 WLRN EXEC MAKES $400,000 WHILE ON-AIR EMPLOYEES FACE CUTBACKS

4 WLRN MAKES SERIOUS CUTS, SUPPOSEDLY BECAUSE OF OBAMACARE Cuts hours of on-air staff

5 WLRN's John Labonia: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

6. EXCLUSIVE — Kelley Mitchell Fired by WLRN!

7 Turmoil at WLRN Victor Kendall, the CEO of Friends of WLRN...has been fired.

8 Miami’s WLRN fires CEO Victor Kendall

9 Grech ousted as WLRN news chief

10 WLRN CANS ANCHOR PHIL LATZMAN AND NEWS DIRECTOR DAN GRECH

11 Michael Peyton abruptly quits Friends of WLRN

Coordinates: 25°58′48″N 80°11′46″W / 25.980°N 80.196°W / 25.980; -80.196

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