Beacon Communications is a privately owned newspaper publisher serving the suburban Rhode Island cities of Cranston, Johnston and Warwick.
Begun in 1969 by John Howell and Anthony Ritacco, as a vehicle to purchase the Warwick Beacon, the company was called Southern Rhode Island Publications until 1987.
Howell took sole possession of the company in the 1980s, with Richard Fleischer coming on as the general manager.
[1][2][3] In addition to its three weekly newspapers, Beacon publishes the Penny$aver shopper in Cranston and Warwick; ChamberWorks, a business publication; and PrimeTime, a seniors-oriented monthly magazine distributed statewide.
[6] Beacon's papers compete with The Providence Journal in the state's capital city, which borders Johnston and Cranston.