West Palm Radio: NPR To Remain On WLRN Translator

WLRN Public Media will keep National Public Radio programming on a channel that had been sold to a Christian broadcaster.

The Sun-Sentinel reports the nonprofit radio and television outlet said this week that it had worked out an arrangement with California-based Educational Media Foundation that will allow WLRN to program on Translator 101.9-FM for 700,000 Palm Beach County residents.

WLRN general manager John LaBonia said his station had agreed to pay the foundation but the price hasn't been established. WLRN operates a PBS television and a NPR radio station out of the Miami-Dade school board headquarters.

W270AD 101.9 FM (250w) 

While listeners who live in south Palm Beach County can receive WLRN radio programming on full-power 90.7 FM, those who live farther north were at risk of losing public radio altogether when American Public Media, a subsidiary of Minnesota Public Radio, sold its Classical South Florida public radio network to the Christian-based foundation in June.

The sale included 90.7 and W270AD 101.9, a 250-watt FM translator station in West Palm Beach.

"We are excited that a programming agreement has been secured," he added. "Now with this expanded coverage, we can proudly offer NPR for the Palm Beaches."

WLRN also is keeping classical music on the airwaves. In August, WLRN's HD-2 radio channel began broadcasting "Classical 24."