Public radio has officially expanded its reach across the Palm Beaches and part of Florida’s Treasure Coast.
South Florida Public Media Group announced over the weekend that full-power public media radio station WPBB went on the air Sunday afternoon, broadcasting WLRN’s popular slate of NPR and local news programming to the entire Palm Beach County region, which includes parts of Martin County along Florida’s Treasure Coast.
WLRN currently has two news correspondents in Palm Beach County, Wilkine Brutus and Jake Shore.
What it means for listeners in Palm Beach and Martin counties is that they will receive freely available public media programming, emergency communications, and signature NPR programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Not to mention Marketplace, The World and Here & Now. In short, it means those listeners will hear the same award-winning programming the rest of South Florida has relied on for decades.
Listeners tuning into the new station at 104.7 FM on their radio dial will hear the newly minted WPBB call letters at the top of each hour. WLRN's hosts will also begin on-air promotions to build local awareness around the new, full-powered frequency in the coming weeks.
The expansion is a joint project for SFPMG and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, which holds the radio and television license of WLRN. SFPMG manages the school district’s media properties, WLRN radio and WLRN television.
"For decades, Miami-Dade County Public Schools has been deeply proud to hold the license for WLRN, nurturing it into a beacon of award-winning journalism and trusted NPR programming," said Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres in a statement. "The launch of WPBB, in partnership with SFPMG, allows us to share this rich legacy of broadcast excellence with our neighbors in Palm Beach and Martin counties, delivering dependable public media that informs, educates, and elevates all of South Florida."
SFPMG interim General Manager Tom Hudson said the expansion of public radio programming resolves a long-standing gap in the region's media landscape. Prior to Sunday, Palm Beach County — among the nation’s top 50 media markets — was considered the largest market in the country without a dedicated, full-power public radio station.
"This is a remarkable milestone for public broadcasting. Launching a full powered NPR member station in Palm Beach County and beyond is an investment in the community with local journalism, national reporting and global perspectives that only public media can provide."
The broadcast marks the culmination of a strategy that began in June 2025, when SFPMG first announced plans to purchase the commercial station 104.7 FM, previously known as "The Flame."
WPBB will now provide public radio programming and local news coverage to approximately 800,000 residents of the county who did not receive WLRN/NPR radio over the air. WLRN has broadcast in parts of Palm Beach County for several years over lower powered outlets, 101.9 FM and 105.5 HD-2. Those signals will continue broadcasting WLRN throughout hurricane season.
The new frequency, 104.7 FM is a 50,000-watt signal that broadcasts WLRN's NPR programming across the county. It also means WLRN is the only broadcaster covering all of South Florida from Key West to Jupiter.
