WRNI
Encyclopedia
Rhode Island's NPR is the NPR
member radio network
for the state of Rhode Island
, operated by Rhode Island Public Radio. Its studios are located in the historic Union Station
in downtown Providence. The network airs a format of news and talk from NPR.
(traditionally one of the bedrocks of support for NPR) and one of only two in the entire country (the other being Delaware
) that did not have a full-service NPR station within its borders. Most of the state got at least a grade B signal from Boston's WGBH-FM (with Providence itself receiving a city-grade signal) and WBUR
. After a few years of looking, they found a partner in Boston University
, owner of WBUR. BU agreed to buy WRCP (1290 AM
), a 5,000-watt station that had been on the air since 1947
, for $1.9 million; the foundation conducted a statewide drive to help raise the funds. For many years, 1290 AM had been known as WICE, but switched to Portuguese
programming as WRCP in 1983
.
On May 1, 1998; WRCP's calls officially changed to WRNI
, and the license was officially transferred to the WRNI Foundation, a separate fundraising group set up by WBUR to handle local underwriting.
Even though BU doubled WRNI's transmission power to 10,000 watts, its signal was not strong enough to reach the southern and western portion of the state (though it provides a city-grade signal to Newport
, southern Rhode Island's biggest city). Accordingly, in 1999, BU bought WERI (1230 AM) in Westerly, which had been on the air since 1949
. BU changed WERI's calls to WXNI, and made it a full-time satellite of WRNI. The station brought a city-grade NPR signal to southern Rhode Island for the first time ever.
BU and WBUR had very big plans for WRNI at first. It moved WRNI from its longtime studio on Douglas Avenue to a state-of-the-art facility at Union Station. It also started a daily two-hour local news magazine, One Union Station. It also had plans to set up a third station to fill the gaps in WXNI's 1,000-watt signal. However, budget problems brought on by the September 11, 2001 attacks
forced One Union Station's cancellation. It was replaced with a one-hour news magazine that was canceled in 2004. At that point, WRNI's local operations were significantly cut back, with most of the station's staff either laid off or transferred to Boston. Since then, WRNI's schedule has been almost identical to that of WBUR.
The reaction in Rhode Island was, not surprisingly, hostile. In an editorial, The Providence Journal
said that WBUR had made numerous long-term commitments to WRNI. The Journal claimed that if the station's local backers had to buy WRNI, it would be tantamount to buying the station twice.
The announcement led state attorney general Patrick Lynch
to open an investigation into WBUR and WRNI.
On September 27, BU interim president Aram Chobanian
delayed the sale of WRNI and WXNI, citing concerns raised by both Lynch and Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri. Memos obtained by The Boston Globe
revealed that WBUR felt the Rhode Island stations were money bleeders, and had decided to either lease or sell the stations at the earliest opportunity. The furor over the WRNI sale was one factor in Christo's resignation almost a month later.
In June 2005
, BU took WRNI and WXNI off the market. It promised to hire a full-time general manager based in Providence, and also stepped up local news coverage. As a result, Lynch closed his investigation in November 2006.
On March 21, 2007, WBUR announced that it was selling WRNI to Rhode Island Public Radio—formerly the Foundation for Ocean State Public Radio—for $2 million. Rhode Island Public Radio also announced it was buying WAKX (102.7 FM
) in Narragansett Pier
from Davidson Media to serve as a repeater for WRNI in southern Rhode Island. WAKX, which signed on in 1989, had been a smooth jazz
station (though its call letters referred to a former simulcast of WWKX
, which lasted from 1997 to 2005). As part of the sale agreement, BU will continue to provide engineering and programming assistance to RIPR for five years.
RIPR officially took control of WAKX on May 17, 2007; changing the calls to WRNI-FM. The addition of WRNI-FM made WXNI redundant, and BU has sold that station separately to Diponti Communications, which renamed it WBLQ. RIPR took control of WRNI on September 1, 2008.
RIPR registered the domain name ripr.org on February 13, 2007; the site was live as of June 2007.
During the summer and fall of 2011, RIPR began to expand WRNI into a statewide network; that July, it began to provide programming to WCVY
, which has operated from Coventry High School
since 1978, allowing the station to remain on the air full-time (previously, it only operated from 2–8 p.m. on school days, sharing time with now-defunct religious
station WRJI
; WCVY still airs its own programming during that time period), and on October 8, the network's flagship signal in Providence moved from 1290 AM to WELH
(88.1 FM), owned by The Wheeler School, completing RIPR's move from AM to FM. WELH had aired programming from The Wheeler School and other groups since 1995; some of this programming, including Wheeler's student-run programming and Brown Student Radio, moved to Internet radio
, while Latino Public Radio's Spanish-language
public radio programming moved from a part-time clearance on WELH to full-time broadcasting on RIPR's original 1290 AM frequency. At the same time, RIPR rebranded the network from "WRNI" to "Rhode Island's NPR".
Note:
The network's programming is also available on Full Channel Digital Cable channel 799.
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
member radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
for the state of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, operated by Rhode Island Public Radio. Its studios are located in the historic Union Station
Union Station (Providence)
Union Station describes two distinct defunct train stations in Providence, Rhode Island.The original Union Station was Providence's first, opening in 1847 to accommodate the needs of the newly thriving city. It was considered "a brilliant example of Romanesque architecture" in its time, and the...
in downtown Providence. The network airs a format of news and talk from NPR.
History
In the 1990s, a group of Rhode Islanders formed the Foundation for Ocean State Public Radio in order to bring a local public radio station to the state. At the time, Rhode Island was the only state in New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
(traditionally one of the bedrocks of support for NPR) and one of only two in the entire country (the other being Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
) that did not have a full-service NPR station within its borders. Most of the state got at least a grade B signal from Boston's WGBH-FM (with Providence itself receiving a city-grade signal) and WBUR
WBUR
WBUR refers to two radio stations in Massachusetts, WBUR AM and FM, both owned by Boston University. WBUR is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, Massachusetts, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM, and the only one to focus exclusively on news and talk...
. After a few years of looking, they found a partner in Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, owner of WBUR. BU agreed to buy WRCP (1290 AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
), a 5,000-watt station that had been on the air since 1947
1947 in radio
The year 1947 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*10 February: The Nederlandse Radio Unie is established.*19 February: CBS Radio premiere of Villa-Lobos' "Bachianas Brasilieras No. 3"...
, for $1.9 million; the foundation conducted a statewide drive to help raise the funds. For many years, 1290 AM had been known as WICE, but switched to Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
programming as WRCP in 1983
1983 in radio
The year 1983 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*August 2 - WHTZ in New York City debuts, soon becoming one of the most influential CHR stations in the US...
.
On May 1, 1998; WRCP's calls officially changed to WRNI
WRNI (AM)
WRNI is a radio station in Providence, Rhode Island broadcasting Spanish-language public radio programming. It is owned by Rhode Island Public Radio, but brokers its airtime to Latino Public Radio.-History:...
, and the license was officially transferred to the WRNI Foundation, a separate fundraising group set up by WBUR to handle local underwriting.
Even though BU doubled WRNI's transmission power to 10,000 watts, its signal was not strong enough to reach the southern and western portion of the state (though it provides a city-grade signal to Newport
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, southern Rhode Island's biggest city). Accordingly, in 1999, BU bought WERI (1230 AM) in Westerly, which had been on the air since 1949
1949 in radio
The year 1949 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*1 April – The facilities and staff of the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland are transferred to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation....
. BU changed WERI's calls to WXNI, and made it a full-time satellite of WRNI. The station brought a city-grade NPR signal to southern Rhode Island for the first time ever.
BU and WBUR had very big plans for WRNI at first. It moved WRNI from its longtime studio on Douglas Avenue to a state-of-the-art facility at Union Station. It also started a daily two-hour local news magazine, One Union Station. It also had plans to set up a third station to fill the gaps in WXNI's 1,000-watt signal. However, budget problems brought on by the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
forced One Union Station's cancellation. It was replaced with a one-hour news magazine that was canceled in 2004. At that point, WRNI's local operations were significantly cut back, with most of the station's staff either laid off or transferred to Boston. Since then, WRNI's schedule has been almost identical to that of WBUR.
Controversy over sale
On September 17, 2004, with no advance warning, WBUR Group general manager Jane Christo announced that WRNI and WXNI were being put on the market. She wouldn't give any specifics, only saying that it was time for Rhode Islanders to buy the stations if they wanted to keep NPR programming in the state. Indeed, WBUR claimed that it never intended to operate WRNI on a long-term basis, and had only intended to help develop it into a self-sustaining service.The reaction in Rhode Island was, not surprisingly, hostile. In an editorial, The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
said that WBUR had made numerous long-term commitments to WRNI. The Journal claimed that if the station's local backers had to buy WRNI, it would be tantamount to buying the station twice.
The announcement led state attorney general Patrick Lynch
Patrick Lynch
Patrick Lynch is the name of:*Patrick Neeson Lynch , Catholic bishop during the American Civil War*Patrick Lynch , Irish Roman Catholic bishop...
to open an investigation into WBUR and WRNI.
On September 27, BU interim president Aram Chobanian
Aram Chobanian
Aram V. Chobanian was president ad interim of Boston University from 2003 until June 9, 2005, when, in recognition of Chobanian’s work, the Board of Trustees voted to remove “ad interim” from his title and designate him the ninth president of Boston University. He had succeeded controversial B.U...
delayed the sale of WRNI and WXNI, citing concerns raised by both Lynch and Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri. Memos obtained by The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
revealed that WBUR felt the Rhode Island stations were money bleeders, and had decided to either lease or sell the stations at the earliest opportunity. The furor over the WRNI sale was one factor in Christo's resignation almost a month later.
In June 2005
2005 in radio
The year 2005 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*April 29 - KFRC 610 AM in San Francisco, switches formats as a result of ownership change. KFRC becomes KEAR, the "Sound of the New Life", a listener-supported, gospel/religious only station. It had been previously KFRC from...
, BU took WRNI and WXNI off the market. It promised to hire a full-time general manager based in Providence, and also stepped up local news coverage. As a result, Lynch closed his investigation in November 2006.
On March 21, 2007, WBUR announced that it was selling WRNI to Rhode Island Public Radio—formerly the Foundation for Ocean State Public Radio—for $2 million. Rhode Island Public Radio also announced it was buying WAKX (102.7 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
) in Narragansett Pier
Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island
Narragansett Pier is an unincorporated village and a census-designated place in the town of Narragansett in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 3,671 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
from Davidson Media to serve as a repeater for WRNI in southern Rhode Island. WAKX, which signed on in 1989, had been a smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
station (though its call letters referred to a former simulcast of WWKX
WWKX
WWKX is a Rhythmic Contemporary station serving the Providence area. The Cumulus Media outlet operates with an ERP of 1.15 kW and is licensed to Woonsocket, Rhode Island.-History:...
, which lasted from 1997 to 2005). As part of the sale agreement, BU will continue to provide engineering and programming assistance to RIPR for five years.
RIPR officially took control of WAKX on May 17, 2007; changing the calls to WRNI-FM. The addition of WRNI-FM made WXNI redundant, and BU has sold that station separately to Diponti Communications, which renamed it WBLQ. RIPR took control of WRNI on September 1, 2008.
RIPR registered the domain name ripr.org on February 13, 2007; the site was live as of June 2007.
During the summer and fall of 2011, RIPR began to expand WRNI into a statewide network; that July, it began to provide programming to WCVY
WCVY
WCVY is a local student-run high school radio station in Coventry, Rhode Island that broadcasts on 91.5 FM. The station is owned by Coventry Public Schools of Rhode Island, and broadcasts from Coventry High School. The station broadcasts a combination of adult album alternative and modern rock...
, which has operated from Coventry High School
Coventry High School (Coventry, Rhode Island)
Coventry High School is a public high school located in Coventry, Rhode Island. Servicing grades Nine through Twelve, it has close to 2,000 students, and is the only public high school in Coventry, Rhode Island. According to the latest report from Public School Review, the school is 40% male and...
since 1978, allowing the station to remain on the air full-time (previously, it only operated from 2–8 p.m. on school days, sharing time with now-defunct religious
Religious broadcasting
Religious broadcasting refers to broadcasting by religious organizations, usually with a religious message. Many religious organizations have long recorded content such as sermons and lectures, and have moved into distributing content on their Internet websites.While this article emphasises...
station WRJI
WRJI
WRJI 91.5 FM was a radio station licensed to serve East Greenwich, Rhode Island. The station was owned by Educational Radio For the Public of the New Millennium...
; WCVY still airs its own programming during that time period), and on October 8, the network's flagship signal in Providence moved from 1290 AM to WELH
WELH
WELH is a radio station owned by The Wheeler School of Providence, Rhode Island. Originally signing on in February 1995 with a modern rock format programmed by student D.J.s as "Extreme 88", and later offering programming from various groups , today WELH broadcasts programming from...
(88.1 FM), owned by The Wheeler School, completing RIPR's move from AM to FM. WELH had aired programming from The Wheeler School and other groups since 1995; some of this programming, including Wheeler's student-run programming and Brown Student Radio, moved to Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
, while Latino Public Radio's Spanish-language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
public radio programming moved from a part-time clearance on WELH to full-time broadcasting on RIPR's original 1290 AM frequency. At the same time, RIPR rebranded the network from "WRNI" to "Rhode Island's NPR".
Stations
| Station | Frequency | City | First air date | ERP | HAAT | Facility ID | Coordinates | Call Sign Meaning | Former Call Signs | Owner |
| WELH WELH WELH is a radio station owned by The Wheeler School of Providence, Rhode Island. Originally signing on in February 1995 with a modern rock format programmed by student D.J.s as "Extreme 88", and later offering programming from various groups , today WELH broadcasts programming from... (flagship) |
88.1 MHz | Providence Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region... |
February 1995 | 4,000 watt Watt The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:... s |
41 m (135 ft) | 66656 | 41°51′26.7"N 71°19′5.6"W | WhEeLer ScHool | The Wheeler School | |
| WCVY WCVY WCVY is a local student-run high school radio station in Coventry, Rhode Island that broadcasts on 91.5 FM. The station is owned by Coventry Public Schools of Rhode Island, and broadcasts from Coventry High School. The station broadcasts a combination of adult album alternative and modern rock... 1 |
91.5 MHz | Coventry Coventry, Rhode Island Coventry is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 35,014 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of . of it is land and of it is water... |
October 19, 1978 | 200 watts2 | 11 m (36 ft) | 14229 | 41°41′10"N 71°35′37"W | CoVentrY | Coventry Public Schools | |
| WRNI-FM | 102.7 MHz | Narragansett Pier Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island Narragansett Pier is an unincorporated village and a census-designated place in the town of Narragansett in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 3,671 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... |
July 15, 1989 | 6,000 watts | 69 m (226 ft) | 22874 | 41°25′27"N 71°28′38"W | derived from WRNI WRNI (AM) WRNI is a radio station in Providence, Rhode Island broadcasting Spanish-language public radio programming. It is owned by Rhode Island Public Radio, but brokers its airtime to Latino Public Radio.-History:... |
WPJB (1989–1997) WAKX (1997–2007) |
Rhode Island Public Radio |
Note:
- 1 WCVY airs its own programming out of Coventry High SchoolCoventry High School (Coventry, Rhode Island)Coventry High School is a public high school located in Coventry, Rhode Island. Servicing grades Nine through Twelve, it has close to 2,000 students, and is the only public high school in Coventry, Rhode Island. According to the latest report from Public School Review, the school is 40% male and...
from 2 to 8 p.m. on school days, with Rhode Island's NPR programming airing at all other times. - 2 WCVY has a construction permitConstruction permitA construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
to boost its power to 6,000 watts.
The network's programming is also available on Full Channel Digital Cable channel 799.