After a nearly year-long battle through the FCC and in court over their purchase of Hip Hop “104.7 The Flame” WFLM Palm Beach Shores FL, South Florida Public Media Group and The School Board of Miami-Dade County have reached a settlement.
Update 5/13: At its monthly meeting, The School Board of Miami-Dade County approved its new operating agreement with South Florida Public Media Group.
In a joint statement, they said, “Representatives of Miami-Dade School Board and South Florida Public Media Group (SFPMG), the media management entity for WLRN, are pleased to report they have amicably resolved their business dispute and litigation, so that WLRN can continue to serve this community for many years to come. SFPMG will continue to manage WLRN, by reporting local news and producing thoughtful programming”.
As previously reported, the school board will acquire 104.7 WFLM Palm Beach Shores from SFPMG for $1 to become the primary simulcast for its 91.3 WLRN-FM Miami replacing its 101.9 W270AD West Palm Beach. The Settlement reached also includes execution of an Amended Management and Program Service Agreement (MPSA) among the parties, creating a fiduciary relationship and extending SFPMG’s management of WLRN and WFLM (upon acquisition) for an additional seven (7) years. SFPMG also agreed to revise its corporate purpose, governance, and leadership.
SFPMG has appointed Tom Hudson as interim CEO. Hudson currently serves as Senior Economics Editor and Special Correspondent for WLRN. He previously served as VP/News for WLRN and hosted The Sunshine Economy for 10 years and was also managing editor and co-anchor of Nightly Business Report on PBS.
The organizations concluded their statement, “Miami-Dade County Public Schools and SFPMG are working in close coordination to ensure a smooth leadership transition. Both parties are dedicated to ensuring that the integrity, quality, and goodwill of WLRN remain strong for our community. Our joint priority is to protect the employees and resources that support the high-quality journalism and programming that make WLRN a community treasure. As we move forward together, we remain focused on maintaining the excellence the public expects from WLRN.”
Original Report 5/8: South Florida Public Media Group, which manages Public News/Talk 91.3 WLRN-FM Miami, 91.5 WKWM Marathon/Key West, and 101.9 W270AD West Palm Beach as well as their Classical service on WLRN-HD2 and WKWM-HD2 and WLRN-TV for The School Board of Miami-Dade County, had agreed last June to purchase WFLM from JDD Radio for $6.45 million. That would lead to the school board suing SFPMG last September alleging breach of contract and misappropriated funds using station funds and donor lists to finance the acquisition.
Wheels began to turn in February when the FCC denied the school board’s Petition To Deny against the purchase and granted the acquisition of the station stating that any potential blocking of the deal needed to come from resolution of the civil case as a private contractual matter as it was not anything that warrants the commission to rule on. Shortly thereafter the two sides reached a settlement in principle at a mediation hearing.
As part of the settlement, upon closing of the sale of WFLM to SFPMG the license will be transferred to the School Board of Miami-Dade County for $1. South Florida Public Media Group will enter into a revised Management Agreement with the school board to continue to operate and fundraise for the stations with a restructured corporate purpose, governance, and leadership that “outlines SFPMG’s broad operational responsibilities, including programming, staffing, fundraising, compliance, and day-to-day management, while preserving the School Board’s authority as FCC licensee and its right to oversee and engage in key decisions. The agreement requires that all funds, endowments, donor lists, and revenues, including those tied to the Educational Broadband Service License WHR-866, be held in trust and used solely for the benefit of the stations, with strict accounting, audit, and transparency obligations.”
The settlement is pending approval by the school board at its monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 13.
Richard Rampell, who served as Chairman of SFPMG, resigned last month telling the Miami Herald, “I resigned of my own accord because I do not want to be an accomplice to the sellout of our station,”
