Scoop: Miami-Dade Schools seeks more control over WLRN in legal battle
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Miami-Dade County Public Schools holds WLRN's broadcast license. Photo: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is seeking to assert more control over Miami's NPR station, a move the station's embattled board chair calls "an attempted hostile takeover."
Why it matters: The proposed language included in an amended management agreement obtained by Axios could cast doubt on WLRN's journalistic independence, an industry expert says.
Between the lines: The amended agreement, dated March 20, is still under negotiation and not yet final.
- The contract between the school district, which holds WLRN's broadcast license, and South Florida Public Media Group (SFPMG), which manages the station, is set to expire in June 2027.
Zoom in: Among the proposed amendments is a clause requiring a "joint committee to recommend a candidate" should SFPMG have a CEO vacancy.
- SFPMG CEO John LaBonia's departure has not been publicly confirmed, but WLRN employees told Axios that his office was cleared out following a Feb. 26 mediation session between SFPMG and district officials.
- Last weekend, he was denied entry into the station's headquarters, though his access has since been reinstated, Axios confirmed.
What they're saying: Having the broadcast license holder recommend the station's next CEO is "inappropriate," Kelly McBride, senior vice president of the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit journalism research center, told Axios.
- "That's not how public media is intended to run," McBride said.
- The station's board, she explained, is typically solely responsible for hiring a CEO, as it's that individual's responsibility to hire a news executive and other programming heads.
- That hierarchy ensures journalistic independence and loyalty to the audience, she said.
The other side: Bob Martinez, an attorney representing the school district in its dispute with SFPMG, declined to answer Axios' questions, explaining that the mediation process is confidential by court order.
- He added the district's policy concerning WLRN's editorial integrity "remains in effect."
Zoom out: Other proposed changes include the school district receiving a second seat on SFPMG's seven-seat board, filled "at the sole discretion" of the school district superintendent.
- The amended agreement allows SFPMG to go forward with its planned acquisition of a radio station in West Palm Beach, so long as the license is transferred to the district once finalized.
- It also specifies that WLRN's endowment — a key element in the legal battle — can be used solely to benefit the stations and school district.
Friction point: Richard Rampell, SFPMG's board chair, called the district's proposals "a thinly disguised assault on the First Amendment."
- In a recent call with Axios, he added he didn't think it was a good idea for any government entity to run a news organization.
Catch up quick: The conflict began over the summer, when SFPMG announced plans to acquire The Flame 104.7 and the school district sued to block the deal.
- The district argues the acquisition would be funded by an endowment for WLRN meant to support the school district and the Miami community. SFPMG disputes those claims.
What we're watching: The FCC in February approved the acquisition of the West Palm Beach station, pending the outcome of the district's lawsuit.
- Last month, the district filed a petition for reconsideration.