WPRV was originally WEAN, Rhode Island's first radio station (those call letters now belong to a sister FM station). It was originally owned by the Shepard Stores of Boston, and starting in the late 1920s, it received programming from sister station WNAC. This would form the cornerstone of the Yankee Network, a regional radio service feeding newscasts and other programs throughout the region.

In the early 1950s, WEAN was sold to the Providence Journal-Bulletin.

By the 1960s, WEAN was a Middle-Of-The-Road outlet, transitioning to Adult Contemporary by the 1970s. For a time in the mid-to-late 1970s, WEAN was an affiliate of NBC's short-lived News And Information Service, going back to music when NIS folded.

After ownership changes, WEAN eventually changed call letters to WWAZ and its format to first classical, then adult standards under the call letters WLKW.

The station then broadcast a sports format as WSKO ("The Score"), airing local and national sports programming (including ESPN Radio programs), with most programs simulcast with WSKO-FM/99.7 (which was replaced by WEAN-FM, a simulcast of WPRO); this format was dropped in March 2008. Hosts over the years included John "Coach" Colletto, Andy Gresh, Scott Cordischi, John Rooke, Steve Hyder, Jess Atkinson, Amy Lawrence, Scott Zolak, John Crowe, and Bryan Morry.

After dropping sports, the station took on its current call letters, as well as an oldies format, largely provided by Scott Shannon's The True Oldies Channel from ABC Radio; this was replaced by the current format on April 13, 2009.

Programming