Six years after beginning to operate 91.3 WLVR-FM Allentown PA in conjunction with Lehigh University, Lehigh Valley Public Media is purchasing the station outright for $55,000.

LVPM, which owns PBS affiliate WLVT-TV Allentown and LehighValleyNews.com, had partnered in 2019 with Lehigh to flip WLVR-FM from a student run station to Public News/Talk. The student programming moved at that time to WLVR-HD2 and streaming, which the university says it “has observed a sustained shift in student engagement away from traditional broadcast radio and toward on-demand, digital-first media”.

Lehigh Provost Nathan Urban said, ““Lehigh’s collaboration with Lehigh Valley Public Media has provided students with valuable professional experiences and enriched our community with essential local news. As we move forward, we are excited to evolve this partnership to focus on the next generation of content creation. Our priority is ensuring that Lehigh students graduate equipped with the advanced digital fluency, AI-readiness, and multimedia skills necessary to lead and succeed in a rapidly transforming media landscape.”

LVPM CEO Hasanna Birdsong stated, “We value the relationship we’ve had with Lehigh University to operate WLVR and the talented students who have contributed through our internship program. We remain supportive of opportunities that help students gain meaningful real-world media experience through our multimedia platforms.”