WXEL HISTORY

1917 PBS First public radio station broadcasts from University of Wisconsin.
1938 PBS FCC establishes new type of high-frequency broadcast station for noncommercial radio.
1945 PBS FCC reserves 20 channels (88-92MHz) exclusively for noncommercial FM radio broadcasting.
1949 PBS Pacifica Foundation started KPFFA, Berkeley, CA, first nonprofit, community-run station.
1952 PBS FCC reserves educational channels throughout nation in first allocation of television channels.
1953 PBS KUHT-TV activates in Houston, TX, first noncommercial television station. 1962 PBS Federal government funds public broadcasting through Education Television Facilities Act.
1967 PBS Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 becomes law.
1967 WXEL Hagen Ranch Elementary School requests FM radio license for innovative approach to educate migrant families.
1967 WXEL Corporation for Public Broadcasting(CPB) is formed; Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood debuts.
1969 PBS Regular national TV program distribution begins, five nights a week; Sesame Street goes on the air; CPB forms PBS.
1969 WXEL WHRS (later to become WXEL), the nation’s first radio station designed to bridge the gap between migrant workers and middle class, goes on the air.
1970 PBS CPB forms National Public Radio(NPR).
1971 PBS NPR’s All Things Considered premiers.
1972 WXEL WHRRS becomes NPR affiliate. Receives national recognition from NASA for nation’s first Spanish-language space launch broadcast of Apollo 16.
1974 WXEL Station emphasis changes to classical music, fine art, with Spanish language and bilingual programs in early morning hours.
1975 PBS The Robert MacNeil Report (forerunner of MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour) debuts.
1975 WXEL Friends of Public Broadcasting group is formed to help support work of WHRS. They call for the creation of a local public television station.
1977 WXEL WHRS boosts power to 35,500 kilowatts and moves to 90.7 frequency. 1979 PBS NPR’s Morning Edition premiers.
1980 WXEL Construction of television antenna begins.
1981 WXEL WHRS FM license moves from Palm Beach County School Board to private South Florida Public Telecommunications, Inc. (SFPT), which also is the licensee for WWPF/Ch.42.
1982 WXEL WHRS TV (originally called WWPF) signs on the air with broadcast of Sesame Street. Shortly after, Jim Barry hosts Financial Freedom, WHRS’ first local television production.
1985 WXEL WHRS officially changes call letters to WXEL.
1994 WXEL SFPT develops organization’s first mission and vision statements, setting future direction based on educational broadcast and non-broadcast communication services. WXEL and Palm Beach Community College provide distance learning with the area’s first college-credit telecourse broadcast.
1995 WXEL WXEL & WLRN - Miami create the Southeastern Regional Ready to Learn Service—the nation’s largest community-based program geared towards getting children ready for education.
1997 WXEL WXEL merges with Barry University. Jerry Carr becomes President and CEO.
2000 WXEL WXEL-Sun-Sentinel News premieres in May on 90.7FM.
2002 WXEL WXEL TV42 celebrates its 20th Anniversary.
2003 WXEL WXEL 90.7FM has raises its antenna height by 314% and increases its power by 152% to better serve South Florida and The Treasure Coast.
2004 WXEL WXEL begins digital transmission on July 4, 2004 on channel 27.
2009 WXEL WXEL turns off its analog signal and goes all digital on April 16, 2009.
2010 WXEL In March 2010, Jerry Carr retires as President and CEO of WXEL and Bernie Henneberg becomes President and General Manager.
2010 WXEL On April 20, 2010, Barry votes to sell WXEL 90.7FM to Classical South Florida.
2011 WXEL On May 25, 2011, Sale final; Radio station's call letters change to WPBI. WXEL TV42 continues operating as a PBS affiliate.
2012 WXEL The WXEL Public Broadcasting Corporation (referred to as “Corporation”), is a management-led group that was formed to acquire WXEL-TV from Barry University. The Corporation is a Florida not-for-profit educational organization operating as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit. Approval for this transfer was granted by the Department of Education of the State of Florida. In July, after completing an extension review of our application, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the Corporation the license to operate WXEL-TV. This marks the first time in over a decade that WXEL operates as a truly locally owned community station. A new Board of Trustees was created representing the individual and geographic diversity of the community.

WXEL-TV, the area's public television station, signed on the air in 1982. WXEL is affiliated with PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service. WXEL airs shows serving the educational, cultural and entertainment needs of the community with acclaimed national and local programming. We broadcast from North Miami Beach to Sebastian.

Our station is located at:
3401 S. Congress Ave
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
(561) 737-8000

Click on the pin above for driving directions or:

• From the North:
Take I-95 to Exit 56, Woolbright Avenue. Head West to Congress Avenue then take a left. Station will be on your right-hand side approximately 1.3 miles down.

• From the South:
Take I-95 to Exit 52, Atlantic Avenue. Head West to Congress Avenue then take a right. Station will be on your left-hand side approximately 1.3 miles down.

• From the West:
Take Florida Turnpike to Exit 81, Atlantic Avenue. Head East to Congress Avenue then take a left. Station will be on your left-hand side, approximately 1.3 miles down.