Orlando pubcaster WMFE-FM has hired LaFontaine Oliver as its new president and g.m., replacing José Fajardo who left in December 2012.
Oliver comes to the station from WEAA-FM in Baltimore, a jazz and NPR news station licensed to Morgan State University. He joined WEAA in 2007 and, while there, created the nationally syndicated Michael Eric Dyson Show. Oliver has also held management positions with SiriusXM in Washington, D.C., and Radio One, an urban-oriented, multimedia company based in Silver Spring, Md.
“We are very excited to bring LaFontaine into this very important role,” said Derek Blakeslee, chair of the Board of Trustees of Community Communications Inc. , WMFE’s license holder. “LaFontaine’s proven record of success and passion for broadcasting stood out and we feel this combination bodes well for the future success of the station.”
Fajardo served five years as president of WMFE and left shortly after the $3.3 million sale of its television operation to the University of Central Florida was complete. WMFE became a radio-only operation, broadcasting NPR News and talk programming on 90.7 FM and classical music on an HD Radio channel. The radio outlet has a weekly cume of 200,000 listeners.