Media in Providence metropolitan area

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.

Broadcast television

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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.

Channel Call Sign Network Owner
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, Learn Rhode 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

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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 Stations Call Sign Owner
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 Stations Call Sign Owner
88.1 MHz WELH The Wheeler School (leases to RIPR)
89.3 MHz WXNI 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

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Several newspapers serve the Providence-New Bedford media market.

Newspaper Owner
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

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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]

References

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  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.