Miami-Dade’s School Board authorized its attorneys to file a lawsuit against the company that manages WLRN, the public radio and television stations for which the board holds the broadcasting license.
The school board is alleging that South Florida Public Media Group (formerly Friends of WLRN), the management company of WLRN, violated its contract with the district when it moved to acquire a new radio station in West Palm Beach that it plans to convert into a public radio station.
The item to authorize the lawsuit was proposed by district staff and passed on consent in Wednesday’s school board meeting, meaning all board members voted unanimously in favor of the item.
The Miami Herald is a news partner with WLRN.
On June 6, the South Florida Public Media Group announced plans to purchase The Flame 104.7, an FM radio station in West Palm Beach, for $6.45 million and operate it as a public radio station. The group filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates radio stations, for approval.
But on July 22, the school board petitioned the FCC to block the acquisition.
WLRN said in a statement that the reason for acquiring the station in Palm Beach is that it will “bring vital news and information to an unduplicated audience of more than 800,000 residents — many of whom are currently unserved by robust public media coverage.”
The new station will provide local journalism for an area that hasn’t had its own public radio affiliate for over a decade and currently broadcasts WLRN content via a low frequency translator station at 101.9 FM.
The board argues that using funds to purchase a separate station violates their contract, and the agenda item presented by staff says the district has been harmed by the management company’s actions.
In the complaint, filed on Wednesday after the unanimous vote, the school district wrote that the company that manages WLRN should “return the millions of dollars it has wrongfully diverted, honor its contractual obligations, fiduciary duties, and legal commitments, and not divert any more funds or misuse WLRN’s donor lists.”
“It’s about due diligence and making sure public dollars are used correctly,” said school board member Roberto Alonso on Wednesday morning before the meeting.
He said the Office of the General Counsel notified him they would be filing the suit and that he supports any attempt to ensure dollars are being used properly.
South Florida Public Media Group said in a statement to the Miami Herald that they were unaware the item would be raised at Wednesday’s meeting. It was added to the agenda that morning.
The management company added that it has and will continue to communicate with the board regarding its concerns, although it disagrees with the board’s assertions.
South Florida Public Media Group has been operating WLRN since 2022, when it won the contract after a years-long bidding process to manage the station.
The agreement put an end to years of tension between the station and the school district.
Following the unanimous vote in favor of the lawsuit on behalf of the school board, the district said in a statement, “Miami-Dade County Public Schools is focused on protecting a vital community asset. We hope South Florida Public Media Group will prioritize the resources for WLRN and our community.”
