Media in Providence metropolitan area

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The city of Providence, Rhode Island is part of a media market that includes New Bedford, Massachusetts. The area is served by several local television stations, radio stations, newspapers, and blogs based in the cities proper and the surrounding communities of Rhode Island and Bristol County, Massachusetts.

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Broadcast television

Providence is the center of Southern New England's broadcasting market, which also encompasses Bristol County, Massachusetts, which includes the cities of Fall River and New Bedford. The city is served by television stations representing every major American television network, as well as radio stations originating from Providence and Boston.

ChannelCall SignNetworkOwner
6 WLNE-TV ABC, Grit, Court TV Mystery, Court TV Standard Media
10 WJAR NBC, MeTV, Comet, TBD Sinclair Broadcast Group
12 WPRI-TV CBS, MyNetwork, Bounce TV, Dabl Nexstar Media Group
28 WLWC Court TV Inyo Broadcast Holdings
36 WSBE-TV PBS, LearnRhode Island PBS Foundation
51 WRIW-CD Telemundo NBC Telemundo Licensee
64 WNAC-TV FOX, The CW, Laff Mission Broadcasting (operated by Nexstar)
69 WPXQ-TV ION, Laff, Bounce TV, QVC, HSN ION Media Networks

Radio

Providence is the center of Southern New England's broadcasting area, with many radio stations located in the city and surrounding communities, as well as some radio stations located in Greater Boston, Central Massachusetts, and eastern Connecticut.

AM StationsCall SignOwner
550 kHz WSJW Starboard Media Foundation
630 kHz WPRO (AM) Cumulus Media
790 kHz WPRV Cumulus Media
920 kHz WHJJ iHeartMedia
1110 kHz WPMZ Videomundo Broadcasting
1220 kHz WSTL Faith Christian Church
1290 kHz WPVD Rhode Island Public Radio
1320 kHz WARA Attleboro Access Cable Systems
1340 kHz WNBH Hall Communications
1400 kHz WHTB RVDE, LLC
1420 kHz WBSM Cumulus Media
1450 kHz WWRI DiPonti Communications, LLC
1480 kHz WSAR Bristol County Broadcasting
1590 kHz WARV Blount Communications
FM StationsCall SignOwner
88.1 MHz WELH The Wheeler School (leases to RIPR)
89.3 MHzWXNI Rhode Island Public Radio (Newport)
91.3 MHz WDOM Providence College
91.5 MHz WCVY Coventry Public Schools (leases to RIPR)
92.3 MHz WPRO-FM Cumulus Media
93.3 MHz WSNE-FM iHeartMedia
94.1 MHz WHJY iHeartMedia
95.5 MHz WLVO K-Love
98.1 MHz WCTK Hall Communications (New Bedford, MA)
99.7 MHz WEAN-FM Cumulus Media (Wakefield)
101.5 MHz WWBB iHeartMedia
101.1 MHz
(share-time)
WBRU-LP
WFOO-LP
WVVX-LP
Brown Student Radio
AS220
Providence Community Radio
102.7 MHz WNPE Rhode Island Public Radio (Narragansett)
103.7 MHz WVEI-FM Audacy (Westerly)
105.1 MHz WWLI Cumulus Media
106.3 MHz WWKX Cumulus Media (Woonsocket)

Newspapers

Several newspapers serve the Providence-New Bedford media market.

NewspaperOwner
Attleboro Sun-Chronicle United Communications Corporation
Fall River Herald News GateHouse Media
New Bedford Standard-Times Dow Jones Local Media Group
Mothers News (defunct)Rhododendron Festival
The Providence Journal GateHouse Media
The Providence Phoenix (defunct) Phoenix Media/Communications Group
Providence Business News Providence Business News, Inc
Taunton Daily Gazette GateHouse Media

Television and movie productions

Providence and the surrounding area have been used as a backdrop for several movies and television series and the city remains invested in bringing filmmakers to its location, as is evidenced by a 25% tax credit on all Rhode Island spending offered to motion picture companies. [1]

The animated television series Family Guy takes place in Quahog, a fictional suburb of Providence, and prominently features the most pronounced segment of Providence's skyline several times an episode (the buildings are One Financial Plaza, 50 Kennedy Plaza, and the Superman Building). [2]

The city and its name were used in the television series Providence , [3] and Showtime's new series, Brotherhood , was also filmed and set in Providence. [4]

The Farrelly brothers used the city as a backdrop for several of their movies, notably Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary . Peter Farrelly set Outside Providence in Pawtucket, adjacent to Providence. The 1991 American-Canadian film Providence takes place at Brown University. [5] Although not set in Providence, the movie Amistad used the exterior of the Rhode Island State House as the United States Capitol exterior. [6] The movie Little Children was also filmed in Providence. [7] In 2006, Providence was the primary filming location for the film Underdog . [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol County, Massachusetts</span> County in Massachusetts, United States

Bristol County is a county in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 579,200. The shire town is Taunton. Some governmental functions are performed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, others by the county, and others by local towns and cities.

The Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America serves all of the state of Rhode Island and some of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Its several camps include Camp Yawgoog, Champlin Scout Reservation, and Camp Norse.

<i>Dumb and Dumber</i> 1994 comedy film by Peter Farrelly

Dumb and Dumber is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the Dumb and Dumber franchise. Starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, it tells the story of Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels), two dumb but well-meaning friends from Providence, Rhode Island, who set out on a cross-country trip to Aspen, Colorado, to return a briefcase full of money to its owner, thinking it was abandoned as a mistake though it was actually left as a ransom. Lauren Holly, Karen Duffy, Mike Starr, Charles Rocket, and Teri Garr play supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farrelly brothers</span> Sibling screenwriters, directors

Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, collectively referred to as the Farrelly brothers, are American screenwriters and directors. They have made eleven films together, including Dumb and Dumber, Outside Providence, and There's Something About Mary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Farrelly</span> American film director, producer and screenwriter

Peter John Farrelly is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and novelist. Along with his brother Bobby, the Farrelly brothers are mostly famous for directing and producing quirky comedy and romantic comedy films such as Dumb and Dumber; Shallow Hal; Me, Myself and Irene; There's Something About Mary; and the 2007 remake of The Heartbreak Kid. On his own in 2018 Farrelly co-wrote and directed the comedy-drama Green Book, which won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2018. For his work on the film, he also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 195 (Rhode Island–Massachusetts)</span> Highway in Rhode Island and Massachusetts

Interstate 195 (I-195) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway running a combined 44.55 miles (71.70 km) in the US states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It travels from a junction with I-95 in Providence, Rhode Island, east to a junction with I-495 and Massachusetts Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts. It runs east–west and passes through the cities of Fall River, Massachusetts, and New Bedford, Massachusetts. The portion of I-195 in East Providence is also known as the East Providence Expressway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLNE-TV</span> ABC affiliate in New Bedford, Massachusetts

WLNE-TV is a television station licensed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States, serving as the ABC affiliate for the Providence, Rhode Island, area. The station is owned by Standard Media, and maintains studios in the Orms Building in downtown Providence; its transmitter is based in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPRI-TV</span> CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island

WPRI-TV is a television station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to dual Fox/CW affiliate WNAC-TV under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Mission Broadcasting. The two stations share studios on Catamore Boulevard in East Providence, Rhode Island; WPRI-TV's transmitter is located on Pine Street in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

WLWC is a television station licensed to New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States, serving the Providence, Rhode Island, area as an affiliate of Court TV. Owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings, the station shares transmitter facilities with former sister WPXQ-TV on Champlin Hill in Ashaway, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Coast (Massachusetts)</span> Region of southeastern Massachusetts

The South Coast of Massachusetts is the region of southeastern Massachusetts consisting of the southern Bristol and Plymouth counties, bordering Buzzards Bay, and includes the cities of Fall River, New Bedford, the southeastern tip of East Taunton and nearby towns. The Rhode Island towns of Tiverton and Little Compton, located in Newport County, are often included within the South Coast designation due to regional similarities with adjacent communities.

Mike Cerrone is an American actor and screenwriter from Rhode Island. He has frequently worked with the Farrelly brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goat Island (Rhode Island)</span>

Goat Island is a small island in Narragansett Bay and is part of the city of Newport, Rhode Island, U.S. The island is connected to the Easton's Point neighborhood via a causeway bridge. It is home to the Newport Harbor Light (1842), residences, a restaurant, event space, and hotel. It was also home to several military forts and to the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station, and was the site of the attacks on HMS St John and HMS Liberty.

The state of Rhode Island has the following popular media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan statistical area in the United States

The Providence metropolitan area is a region extending into eight counties in two states. Its core is in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and it is the 38th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The largest city in the Providence MSA is Providence, Rhode Island, with an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by slightly over 60%. The area covers almost all of Rhode Island. Thirty-eight of the 39 municipalities in the state are included; only Westerly is not. The Providence Metropolitan Statistical Area also extends into southern Massachusetts with an average population density of 2300 per mi2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Public's Radio</span> Public radio network serving Rhode Island

Rhode Island Public Radio, doing business as The Public's Radio, is the NPR member radio network for the state of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Its studios are in the historic Union Station in downtown Providence. The network airs a format of news and talk from NPR, APM, PRX and other sources, such as Morning Edition, On Point, KERA's Think and All Things Considered, as well as extensive local news coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island</span> United States historic place

Downtown is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to the south by Henderson Street. The highway serves as a physical barrier between the city's commercial core and neighborhoods of Federal Hill, West End, and Upper South Providence. Most of the downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Downtown Providence Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. M. Eddy Jr.</span> American writer

Clifford Martin Eddy Jr. was an American writer known for his horror, mystery and supernatural short stories. He is best remembered for his work in Weird Tales magazine and his friendship with H. P. Lovecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence, Rhode Island</span> Capital city of Rhode Island, United States

Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, it is one of the oldest cities in New England, founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence" which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers. The city developed as a busy port, as it is situated at the mouth of the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay.

<i>41</i> (2007 film) 2007 documentary film

41 is an independent feature-length documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the Station nightclub fire, which claimed the lives of 100 people in West Warwick, Rhode Island on February 20, 2003. The documentary, which was co-created by filmmakers Christian de Rezendes and Christian O'Neill, interweaves the story of Nicholas's life, as described by his family, including his father, Dave Kane, and friends and illustrated with home videos, with footage from the film They Walk Among Us, which is based on a play of the same name written by Nicholas a year before he passed. The titular number, as described by the film, was of spiritual significance to Nicholas, although the reasons behind this are not fully known. The film also details how his family and friends believe that Nicholas may have prophetically known that he would die at a young age, and that he continues to communicate with them as a spirit, often through "signs" involving the number 41.

Rose Weaver is an American actress, singer, director and writer in Rhode Island. Weaver is described as a "major figure in Rhode Island entertainment," and she is known for her role in the film Poetic Justice.

References

  1. "Rhode Island Tax Incentive Law Summary". RI Film & TV Office. 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-10.
  2. James Bartlett. "Seth MacFarlane – he's the "Family Guy"". Presswire Limited. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  3. "Providence (1999)". Internet Movie Database Inc. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  4. "Brotherhood (2006)". Internet Movie Database Inc. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  5. "Providence (1991)". Internet Movie Database Inc. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  6. Katharine Imbrie (2006). "In the footsteps of Amistad". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2006-04-19.
  7. "Providence, Rhode Island RI, city profile (Providence County)". ePodunk Inc. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  8. Daniel Barbarisi. "Film Squad making movies happen". Providence Journal. Retrieved 2007-06-09.