When The Real Housewives of Rhode Island came to Providence, one radio station was already there waiting.
Seeing It Coming Before Anyone Else
Most local media outlets waited for Bravo to make it official. Bekah Berger didn’t.
The 92 PRO-FM morning show host and entertainment reporter started tracking the story in summer 2024, when a vague casting notice surfaced seeking Italian American women entrepreneurs in Rhode Island. No network. No franchise name. Just a whisper.
Berger brought listeners along for the ride anyway. Through her daily entertainment segment “Bekah’s World,” she tracked every rumor as it surfaced. “I took listeners on the same ride I was on,” she said. She covered it on social media, sparking conversations that were, by her own description, “always engaging and sometimes even a little divisive — if you can believe that.”
By the time Bravo formally announced Real Housewives of Rhode Island in May 2025, 92 PRO-FM had already built an audience that was primed and ready.
That kind of early investment is rare. It paid off.
Building Something Bigger: The Real Talk Rhody Podcast
When the official announcement dropped, station management didn’t just encourage more coverage. They pushed Berger to launch a dedicated podcast.
Real Talk Rhody was born. It airs weekly and focuses on RHORI episode recaps, cast interviews, and spotlights on local people connected to the show. Outside of the season, it pivots to covering Rhode Island and Southern New England more broadly.
Berger had wanted to launch a podcast for years. She’d considered a parenting-and-pop-culture concept — “Mom and Pop Culture,” she called it — but it never clicked. Then RHORI arrived and everything aligned. “As soon as it was officially announced and management and my family encouraged me, it really felt like it was all meant to be,” she said.
The podcast gives her room the morning show format doesn’t allow. Longer takes. More freedom with timing. Deeper conversations. Berger edits her own audio and pulls sound clips herself — skills that give Real Talk Rhody a tighter feel than many local podcast efforts. “I’ve always asked the question: what is a podcast anyway? Isn’t it just a long form radio show?” she said. “I believe it is.”
A Station-Wide Effort
This wasn’t a solo operation. 92 PRO-FM went all in as a team.
Afternoon host Jess Schiano used her existing relationship with Twin Oaks — the iconic Rhode Island restaurant — to lock in a premiere party venue. Personalities Barbi Jo DiMaria and Kim Zandy contributed their own connections and presence. The promotions team handled logistics before and during the event.
Berger is generous in crediting her colleagues. “Really all of the 92 PRO-FM personalities embraced the coverage,” she said. When a local story this big lands in your backyard, that kind of unified response matters.
The Twin Oaks Premiere Party
The event itself delivered something money can’t manufacture: authenticity.
The station hosted a season one premiere party at Twin Oaks, a restaurant woven into Rhode Island’s cultural fabric. They kept one detail quiet — some of the cast would actually be there. Jo Ellen, Kelsey, and Liz showed up despite a packed evening of obligations. “We never actually announced that some of the housewives would be in attendance,” Berger said. “The fact that they took the time to come to our event meant a lot to us, Twin Oaks, and the listeners.”
What unfolded was, as Berger described it, “wonderfully meta.” Listeners watched the housewives watch themselves on screen. The room held fans, cast members, and local pride all at once. “I want to replay that moment over and over,” she said. “It embodied what Rhode Island should be about — local connections and support for one another.”
Covering the Skeptics, Too
Not every Rhode Islander is a Bravo fan. Berger knows this and doesn’t pretend otherwise.
“I’m very well aware that not everyone lives in a Bravo bubble like I sometimes tend to,” she said. She balances RHORI coverage with everything else her audience expects. She’s watched skeptical listeners gradually come around, and she respects those who haven’t. “I also know Rhode Islanders love hearing about fellow Rhode Islanders doing major things. That’s why Real Talk Rhody has been such a safe space for me — and a great option for those who want more coverage on RHORI.”
That balance is part of why the coverage lands. She’s a credible entertainment reporter first. The RHORI enthusiasm feels earned, not performed.
What’s Coming Next
The momentum isn’t slowing. Berger has a full guest lineup ready for Real Talk Rhody, including more cast interviews. On June 20th, she’s hosting a live Q&A panel at Bally’s Casino in RI featuring cast members Jo Ellen, Liz, Alicia, and Kelsey in a Watch What Happens Live-style format.
On Real Talk Rhody, Berger has already had strong conversations with the new “Bravo-lebrities” Liz McGraw, Alicia Carmody, and Rosie Woods DiMare. “They didn’t skip a beat,” she said. “They’re fun and funny and genuinely themselves.”
As for whether Berger herself might appear in a future season? She deflected with the self-deprecating humor that makes her good at her job. “I shop very often at the Dollar Store. I currently have two loads of laundry to fold. Trust me — they don’t want me.”
Rhode Island does, though. And 92 PRO-FM made sure to show up for it.
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Bethany Kent is a Music Radio Editor for Barrett Media. She spent nearly 20 years bringing radio to life on stages, across the airwaves, and through unforgettable listener experiences. Her career spans local markets including Providence, Philadelphia, and New York City, most recently serving as National Director of Music Initiatives for Audacy. From producing major live events like HOT 97’s Summer Jam to leading strategic national marketing initiatives, she has built a career at the intersection of music, media, and culture. She can be reached at bethany@barrettmedia.com.
