System/Policy
WLRN friends group reaches agreement with school district to manage station
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Friends of WLRN believes it “will be able to grow WLRN’s audience and community impact as well as increasing financial support from the community.”
System/Policy
South Florida PBS withdraws bid to manage Miami’s WLRN
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The station cited the COVID-19 outbreak and a focus on producing related health content.
System/Policy
Miami school board rejects challenge to selection process for manager of WLRN
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The petition was filed by a friends group that had bid to run the joint licensee.
System/Policy
WLRN friends group accuses South Florida PBS of violating state law with appeal to members
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A petition filed by Friends of WLRN also alleges the Miami school district was biased in recommending South Florida PBS to manage WLRN.
System/Policy
Miami school board postpones vote on management of WLRN
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A bid from South Florida PBS was challenged by fundraising group Friends of WLRN.
System/Policy
Owner of Miami’s WLRN narrows options for future governance
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One outcome discussed at a meeting Wednesday would maintain the Miami-Dade school district’s ownership of WLRN, while the other looks toward independence.
System/Policy
In Miami, stakeholders weigh future of WLRN’s relationship with school-board licensee
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Station leaders, fundraisers and school district officials are considering whether a separate nonprofit should take over WLRN’s licenses.
System/Policy
CPB IG recommends WLRN return $784,000 in grant overpayments
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A draft audit found that the Miami station overstated nonfederal financial support in fiscal years 2013–15 by more than $7.3 million.
Programs/Content
Outlets aim for engagement as Facebook feeds less news to users
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Callouts, virtual station tours and diverse sources of web traffic are among the strategies public media newsrooms are adopting.
Quick Takes
CPB IG recommends recouping $1.1M from WLRN for misreporting income, plus penalties
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WLRN GM John LaBonia said repaying the funds “would be catastrophic” to the station and “would likely result in significant cutbacks.”
System/Policy
Miami school district drops push to manage WLRN newsroom
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A controversial proposal to restructure the station is reportedly off the table.
Quick Takes
Proposed changes at Miami’s WLRN seen as threat to newsroom independence
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The station’s school-board licensee has suggested making news staffers employees of the school district.
Programs/Content
Florida stations join project studying costs of health care
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The stations are casting some sunshine on the costs of common medical procedures such as MRIs.
Quick Takes
Deal with Miami station keeps NPR on air in Palm Beach
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WLRN reached an agreement with Educational Media Foundation, the translator’s new owner.
People
Friends group of Miami’s WLRN fires CEO Victor Kendall
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Kendall had been with the organization since June 2012.
People
This American Life, Radiolab, Radio Rookies among Third Coast winners
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Programs produced by Chicago’s WBEZ, New York’s WNYC and Miami’s WLRN won awards from the Third Coast International Audio Festival, handed out Oct. 20 at the organization’s Filmless Festival in Chicago.
Programs/Content
WLRN backpedals after host dumps talk show guest
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The author of a book arguing for the innocence of five convicted Cuban spies found himself disinvited from an appearance on Miami’s WLRN-FM last month, only to be reinvited after the station’s g.m. caught wind of the cancellation. Stephen Kimber, a journalism professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was slated to appear on WLRN’s Topical Currents Sept. 17 to discuss his new book, What Lies Across the Water: The Real Story of the Cuban Five. The book examines the 2001 Miami trial of the Cuban Five, who were convicted for conspiracy to spy on the U.S. and for failure to register as agents of a foreign government. One of the spies was also convicted for conspiracy to commit murder for his involvement in a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets shot down planes flying between Florida and Cuba, piloted by exiles.
People
Second journalist fired at Miami’s WLRN
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Miami’s WLRN confirmed that host and reporter Phil Latzman was dismissed July 16. Latzman hosted a weekly public affairs show on the station, according to his bio. Earlier this month, the station also dismissed news director Dan Grech. The blog Random Pixels first reported the news of Latzman’s dismissal. Latzman has not responded to a request for comment.
People
CPR, WBEZ, WUOT, WBGO lead 2013 PRNDI winners for pubradio news
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Presented by NPR’s Scott Simon in Cleveland June 22, Public Radio News Directors Inc. honored the best local public radio news in 16 categories based on the size of stations’ newsroom staff. In addition, PRNDI recognized stations for standout news reporting edited by a national producer; these awards were presented in several categories without consideration of newsroom size. Top winners among this year’s contenders were Colorado Public Radio, Chicago’s WBEZ, WUOT of Knoxville, Tenn., and WBGO in Newark, N.J., which each received four first-place awards in their divisions. Miami’s WLRN and WBFO in Buffalo, N.Y., both topped three categories. CPR, WBEZ, and WLRN competed amongst stations with the largest newsrooms: Division A, for newsrooms staffed by five or more full-time journalists.
People
Pubcasters capture 21 national Edward R. Murrow Awards
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WLRN in Miami won large-market radio Murrows for feature reporting and use of sound. Chicago’s WBEZ also won for news documentary and hard-news reporting. The award for investigative reporting went to KQED and the Center for Investigative Reporting, both based in San Francisco, for “Broken Shield: Exposing Abuses at California Developmental Centers.”