2015 -- S 0971

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LC002817

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING WJFD-FM RADIO STATION ON THE MOMENTOUS OCCASION

OF ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

     Introduced By: Senators DaPonte, Paiva Weed, Nesselbush, Pearson, and Archambault

     Date Introduced: June 04, 2015

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

     WHEREAS, On June 23rd, 1975, WJFD-FM, owned by Attorney Edmund Dinis, began

broadcasting in a Portuguese language format with the hope of better serving the large and

vibrant Portuguese communities sprinkled throughout Eastern New England, from Salem, New

Hampshire, to Mystic, Connecticut, and from Boston to Worcester, with a particular emphasis on

covering the southeastern Massachusetts and the greater Providence, area Portuguese

communities; and

     WHEREAS, In 1982, in order to take better advantage of its 50,000 watts of power,

WJFD began broadcasting from a 580-foot tower in the New Bedford area. As a result of having

more power, greater coverage, and better programming, WJFD became the biggest Portuguese

FM radio station outside of Portugal and the most-listened-to Portuguese radio station in the area;

and

     WHEREAS, WJFD provides programming that focuses on important community events

and issues, covers a variety of musical tastes, emphasizes popular sporting events and covers live

national and international news from Portugal. It provides information and entertainment to its

listeners, whether at home, at work, or in drive-time on the roadways, and it captures

approximately 400,000 listeners who report Portuguese, Brazilian and Cape Verdean as their first

ancestry. Most recently, under the ownership of Henry and Paulina Arruda, WJFD joined the

iHeartRadio family of streaming radio stations, becoming the first and only Portuguese terrestrial

radio station to join iHeartRadio, with more than 50 million listeners; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby congratulates WJFD-FM Radio Station on the momentous occasion of its 40th

Anniversary; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Paulina Arruda.

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