BOCA RATON, FLA. — In 1972, West Palm Beach saw the arrival of its own NPR Member station. On May 25, 2011, West Palm Beach lost its own NPR Member station, as Barry University sold what was then WXEL-FM 90.7 to Classical South Florida.
Today, that signal is WFLV, the home of Educational Media Foundation‘s “K-LOVE” and, on its HD4 signal, a unique feed from the NPR Member station based in Miami is rebroadcast on an FM translator EMF owns, filling the void left by WXEL’s demise.
Soon, this NPR station will own the translator outright. And, it will be shifting its originating digital multicast station to an iHeartMedia property in the market.
An asset purchase agreement dated January 28, EMF is selling W270AD at 101.9 MHz in West Palm Beach to the Miami-Dade County School Board, the licensee of WLRN-FM 91.3.
WLRN has been using W270AD via a long-term LMA inked in September 2015; it largely covers northern Palm Beach County, from Boynton Beach to Palm Beach Gardens.
That’s continuing with the School Board’s outright purchase of the FM translator.
However, WFLV HD4 won’t be the originating station much longer. That’s because iHeart’s WOLL-FM 105.5, a Class C2 licensed to Hobe Sound with a city-grade signal stretching from Boca Raton in the south to Stuart in the north, is set to become the new host. WOLL HD2 will be handed to WLRN; it presently is the home of the hosted Classic Hits “KOOL Oldies.”
To facilitate that shift, the School Board is agreeing to pay EMF a monthly carriage fee, which it would then hand over to iHeartMedia. WLRN GM John LaBonia explains to RBR+TVBR this was facilitated by the School Board after EMF shifted its West Palm Beach feed to HD4 from HD2 a few years ago.
To make it happen, WLRN is tapping into its Friends of WLRN donations and total funds on hand and investing $456,000 — subject to credits and adjustments.
A $120,000 cash payment will be made by the School Board at closing.
The remaining $336,000 can be paid by check or wire transfer in 96 monthly installments
of $3,500, with the first installment payment due within 30 days of closing.
However, the school Board can pay the entire amount at closing. If that’s the case, the $456,000 purchase price will be reduced to $410,400.
There is no broker or finder in this transaction, which will see EMF replace the WFLV HD4 signal with its own programming.
Meanwhile, LaBonia is particularly pleased to be offering a key portion of South Florida, albeit outside of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale DMA, unique NPR programming. The closest Member station outside of WLRN is WQCS-FM 88.9, a 100kw facility licensed to Fort Pierce that has an excellent inland signal but is difficult to receive in such key locales as the town of Palm Beach — home of former President Donald J. Trump.
