The city ofProvidence,Rhode Island is part of a media market that includesNew 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 ofRhode Island andBristol County, Massachusetts.
Providence is the center ofSouthern New England's broadcasting market, which also encompassesBristol County, Massachusetts, which includes the cities ofFall River andNew Bedford. The city is served bytelevision stations representing every major Americantelevision network, as well asradio stations originating from Providence andBoston.
| Channel | Call Sign | Networks | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | WLNE-TV | .1Roar .2Grit .3Ion Mystery .5MeTV | Standard Media (operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
| 8 | WYCN-LD | .1Telemundo .2TeleXitos .3Cozi TV .4NBC True CRMZ | Telemundo Station Group |
| 10 | WJAR | .1NBC .2ABC .3Charge! .4Comet | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| 12 | WPRI-TV | .1CBS .2MyNetworkTV .3True Crime Network .4Defy | Nexstar Media Group |
| 17 | WVMA-CD | Antenna TV | Woodland Communications, LLC (operated by Vision Communications) |
| 28 | WLWC | Court TV | Inyo Broadcast Holdings |
| 36 | WSBE-TV | PBS | Ocean State Media |
| 51 | WRIW-CD | .1Telemundo .2Cozi TV .3Oxygen | Telemundo Station Group |
| 64 | WNAC-TV | .1Fox .2The CW .3Rewind TV .4Antenna TV | Mission Broadcasting (operated by Nexstar Media Group) |
| 69 | WPXQ-TV | .1Ion Television .2Laff .3Busted .4Bounce TV .5Game Show Central .6HSN .8QVC | Ion Media (subsidiary of theE. W. Scripps Company) |
Providence is the center ofSouthern New England's broadcasting area, with many radio stations located in the city and surrounding communities, as well as some radio stations located inGreater Boston,Central Massachusetts, and easternConnecticut.
| 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 toRIPR) |
| 89.3 MHz | WXNI | Rhode Island Public Radio (Newport) |
| 91.3 MHz | WDOM | Providence College |
| 91.5 MHz | WCVY | Coventry Public Schools (leases toRIPR) |
| 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) |
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 |
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 seriesFamily 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 areOne Financial Plaza,50 Kennedy Plaza, and theSuperman Building).[2]
The city and its name were used in the television seriesProvidence,[3] and Showtime's new series,Brotherhood, was also filmed and set in Providence.[4]
TheFarrelly brothers used the city as a backdrop for several of their movies, notablyDumb and Dumber andThere's Something About Mary. Peter Farrelly setOutside Providence inPawtucket, adjacent to Providence. The 1991 American-Canadian filmProvidence takes place at Brown University.[5] Although not set in Providence, the movieAmistad used the exterior of theRhode Island State House as theUnited States Capitol exterior.[6] The movieLittle Children was also filmed in Providence.[7] In 2006, Providence was the primary filming location for the filmUnderdog.[8]