Celebrating 50 Years of Holiday TV Magic! This holiday season, mark your calendars for a historic celebration as WRAL proudly presents the 50th anniversary broadcast of the Raleigh Christmas Parade, set to enchant viewers this Saturday, November 18. Join the festivities from the comfort of your homes with a live broadcast starting at 9 a.m. […]

“The show was great, band was amazing, and we sold it out! So much fun getting together with That Station listeners!” – That Station Program Director & Music Curator Chris Edge Fonteyn opened and then The Nude Party headlined the show for the awesome 5th Anniversary Party for That Station.  The concert and the crowd rocked […]

CBC aficionados who open the April 2023 issue of Our State magazine will see a familiar face.  Corp CEO & Board Chairman Jim Goodmon is featured in the anniversary section of the periodical, in which Our State is celebrating 90 years.  Saluted for the monthly “Our Readers” piece, he is hailed for his contributions to […]

As the 20th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11 approaches, WRAL-TV Reporter Amanda Lamb spoke to two WRAL Photojournalist Ed Wilson and WRAL-TV Reporter Scott Mason who vividly remember driving north to cover the aftermath in New York City and at the Pentagon and all that they saw and experienced. See video of Lamb’s story, […]

CBC Radio Vice President Brian Maloney is now a Hall of Famer; he was honored by his alma mater on November 14, 2020.  Maloney received induction into the Specs Howard School of Media Arts Hall of Fame as a part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the educational institution. Specs Howard had planned a gala […]

The Green Eyeshade Awards, the nation’s oldest regional journalism contest, recognized Capitol Broadcasting Company’s editorial cartoonist Dennis Draughon for outstanding visual commentary. The Society of Professional Journalists annually honors outstanding work by Southern journalists. Draughon placed third in editorial cartoons, in the Green Eyeshade’s graphic division. In assessing the editorial cartooning entries, judging stressed originality and […]

WRAL-TV Anchor Debra Morgan is tops in the Triangle.  Cary Magazine released the publication’s annual Maggy Awards winners, voted on by readers, on Monday, April 1, 2024.  Morgan won the Best Local TV Personality category with WRAL-TV Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner earning an Honorable Mention. Cary Magazine quoted Morgan talking about WRAL in a feature about […]

Several CBC personalities landed on the list of the 2024 Wake Living Readers’ Choice Awards.  Announced in the January/February issue of the publication, the list honors the best of Raleigh, Wake Forest and Knightdale in numerous categories. And the CBC honorees are: BEST LOCAL TV PERSONALITYWinner: RENEE CHOU, WRAL-TVHonorable Mention: Gerald Owens, WRAL-TV BEST RADIO […]

The Nashville/Midsouth Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees for the 38th Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards on Thursday, December 7, 2022, and WRAL-TV received 23 nods, including a nomination for News Excellence. The WRAL-TV nominees are: NEWS EXCELLENCEWRAL-TV MORNING NEWSCASTWRAL News this Morning – Brian Thomas, David Emke, Lauren Thomson, […]

WRAL-TV came home with a news truck full of awards from the The Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC) annual awards luncheon last weekend. The station won 15 first place plaques, plus one for WRAL-TV News+ Anchor Grace Holland who won for a WFMY story, and 4 second place certificates. “I’m especially […]

Herb Marks as Cap’n Five with kids at Raleigh’s Pullen Park

The 38th Annual WRAL Azalea Celebration is now accepting applications from non-profits for the 2024 plant giveaway.  Sponsored by WRAL-TV, MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM, FOX 50, WRAL.com and NC Beautiful, the Azalea Celebration promotes environmental education, beautification and stewardship by awarding azalea plants to non-profits in North Carolina. All applications must be postmarked or emailed by […]

Relive the fun of the 66th Annual Golden Years Holiday Celebration, sponsored by Capitol Broadcasting, on WRAL-TV on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve! CBC proudly sponsored the 66th Annual Golden Years Holiday Celebration on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at the Raleigh Convention Center. The event was first held in the WRAL Studios in 1958 […]

Capitol Broadcasting Company proudly sponsored the 66th Annual Golden Years Holiday Celebration on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.  The event, which CBC began in the WRAL studios over six decades ago, took place in a packed Raleigh Convention Center ballroom downtown.  Seniors from the City of Raleigh’s Golden Years Clubs came for breakfast, musical entertainment and […]

Celebrating 50 Years of Holiday TV Magic! This holiday season, mark your calendars for a historic celebration as WRAL proudly presents the 50th anniversary broadcast of the Raleigh Christmas Parade, set to enchant viewers this Saturday, November 18. Join the festivities from the comfort of your homes with a live broadcast starting at 9 a.m. […]

Capitol Broadcasting gave away 5,000 azaleas to North Carolina nonprofits through the 37th annual WRAL Azalea Celebration.  Distribution took place at the WRAL-TV Tower site in Auburn, NC, on Saturday, September 30, 2023. Corp Estate Gardner Ken Sandy helped hand out the plants to the 60 nonprofits, schools and churches who were selected to receive […]

Sheri Logan and Bill Jordan join Duke Coach K to raise funds for Duke Childrens Hospital.

Check out this assortment of wild and crazy on-the-air phone calls made to unsuspecting listeners. The prank turns into a happy birthday phone call. Proceeds of the cassette went to Duke Children’s Hospital.

Listen to the voices of children, parents, and those who made a donation to Duke Children’s Hospital.

Listen to this very moving story told by a nurse at Duke Children’s Hospital.

Alan is a boy who received a lung transplant. He reads his letter of sincere gratitude to the donor, someone he will never meet, but feels a strong connection to thanks to the lung transplant.

Format sheet for “Time for Uncle Paul”

Paul Montgomery as “Uncle Paul”

Cast from WRAL-TV’s award-winning children’s program

Captain Five’s X-5 submarine

Publicity photo for the Androgena show

In recognition of WRAL’s 60th Anniversary, Scott Mason – better known as The Tar Heel Traveler – took viewers back to October 17, 1956 for the groundbreaking ceremonies of the studios on Western Boulevard in Raleigh. WRAL would sign on two months later on December 15, 1956 using a temporary studio in the garage of the transmitter building near Garner.

Scott Mason interviewed Wesley Williams, former President of Greater Raleigh Merchants Association, for his recollection of that rainy day in October. Also interviewed is CEO Jim Goodmon, grandson of founder A.J. Fletcher and nephew of Fred Fletcher.

WRAL-FM carried the dedication ceremonies LIVE with Fred Fletcher, VP of Capitol Broadcasting introducing the guest speakers and providing commentary. George Geoghegan, VP of Wachovia Bank and Trust served as Master of Ceremonies. Other speakers included Charles Campbell, President of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and Wesley Williams, at the time Secretary of the Raleigh Merchants Association.

The highlight of the event was Dorothy Collins, star of the NBC television program “Your Hit Parade,” joining CBC Founder and President AJ Fletcher to turn the soil with a gold color shovel. The day was rainy and gray, but everyone beamed with excitement. Dorothy Collins said, “I hope this station goes on forever and ever.”

Feature edited by WRAL Tar Heel Traveler photographer Bob Meikle.

October 17, 1956 was ground breaking day for construction of the WRAL-TV studios and offices located at 2619 Western Boulevard in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-FM carried the dedication ceremonies LIVE with Fred Fletcher, VP of Capitol Broadcasting introducing the guest speakers and providing commentary. George Geoghegan, VP of Wachovia Bank and Trust served as Master of Ceremonies. Other speakers included Charles Campbell, President of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and Wesley Williams, Secretary of the Raleigh Merchants Association.

The highlight of the event was Dorothy Collins, star of the NBC television program “Your Hit Parade,” joining CBC Founder and President AJ Fletcher to turn the soil with a gold color shovel. The day was rainy and gray, but everyone beamed with excitement. Dorothy Collins said, “I hope this station goes on forever and ever.”

The construction seen in the video occurred in the weeks and months after the dedication ceremony. WRAL-TV signed on the air December 15, 1956 and initially broadcasted from the transmitter building until the completion of the building on Western Boulevard.

The friendship between British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and NC Senator Jesse Helms was special. Both fought for conservative principles in their countries. Helms stood by Thatcher and President Reagan as they fought to bring down the Iron Curtain. In April, 2001 Lady Margaret Thatcher served as the guest speaker at the grand opening the A.J. Fletcher Building, a 23,000 square-foot interactive museum that now serves as the headquarters for the Jesse Helms Center in Wingate, North Carolina. In his 2005 memoir “Here’s Where I Stand” Helms wrote, “From the beginning I knew she would be a leader like few the world has seen.”

The video features a meet and greet time with Thatcher and a Question and Answer session that took place April 27, 2001 at Quail Hollow Country Club, Charlotte, N.C. On April 28, 2001 Helms and Thatcher cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Jesse Helms Center, followed by a speech by Prime Minister Thatcher.

The Right Honorable Margaret Thatcher ends her speech by quoting poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
“Sail on, O Ship of State!
Sail on, O Union, strong and great!
Humanity with all its fears,
With all the hopes of future years,
is hanging breathless on thy fate!”
May God always bless America!

Silent film footage of the dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony of the WRAL-TV studios on Western Boulevard in Raleigh, NC. Robert Sarnoff, president NBC television network, cut the ribbon.

WRAL became an ABC affiliate in 1962 and then in 1985 switched to CBS. On February 29, 2016 WRAL once again became an NBC affiliate.

WRAL-TV signed on the air the evening of December 15, 1956. In a small studio beneath the station’s 1100-foot transmission tower, CBC Founder A.J. Fletcher welcomed viewers to Channel 5 and its first program: Miracle on 34th Street.

Margita White, President of the Model HDTV Project, presides over the first on-air demonstration of broadcast and reception of live and tape HD television. At 13 minutes, 29 seconds into this video, Ms White acknowledged that WRAL-TV (an HDTV model station) was the first station to transmit HD TV.

WRAL-TV’s specially equipped weather vehicle drawing a crowd at the NC State Fairgrounds

Jimmy Goodmon speaks at demo of Mobile EAS

Fred Fletcher addresses audience of sales representatives to explain and demonstrate new videotape technology in use at WRAL-TV.

WRAL-TV with AJ Fletcher demonstrates new technology of videotape to invited guests.

Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo and FCC Chairman Kevin Martin throw the symbolic switch making local TV stations the first in the country to go digital. WILM was the first CBC affiliate to make the change.

WRAL Director of Engineering Peter Sockett tests WILM-TV’s new digital transmitter before the historic DTV transition. WILM was the first CBS affiliate to make the switch on September 8, 2008

As the hotly contested 2020 election season nears, our country and our state appear more divided than ever. While the political left and right seem to disagree over truth itself, WRAL is committed to cutting through the noise and bringing you facts. WRAL is now the official partner in North Carolina of PolitiFact, the Pulitzer […]

To quote the title of an ol’ Beatles’ song, we are going “Back to the USSR” in this and the next Throwback Thursday articles. What prompted this revisit to the land of the bear? Since the presidential election, the land of the bear has been cast as either friend or foe to the United States. […]

Travelers along Wilmington’s busiest thoroughfares kept an eye on North Carolina’s gubernatorial race on Election Day powered by Capitol Broadcasting Company’s WILM-TV and New Media Group. On November 8, Fairway digital billboards in six Wilmington locations displayed the percentage of votes for the Republican and Democratic candidates alongside the WILM-TV logo and website URL, where […]

Gov. Pat McCrory and challengers Roy Cooper and Lon Cecil have agreed to a final debate before the Nov. 8 election. WRAL News will host the hour-long debate, which will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 18. Anchor David Crabtree and Capital Bureau Chief Laura Leslie will serve as moderators. McCrory, a Republican seeking his […]

Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Elizabeth Dole debated the pressing issues of 2002 in hope of garnering votes in the upcoming election to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate. The debate was held at Jones Hall on the campus of Meredith College in Raleigh on October 14, 2002. The moderators were WRAL News Anchor David Crabtree and WTVD News Anchor Larry Stogner.

Host Bette Elliott in the Femme Fare kitchen

WRAL legend Uncle Paul Montgomery leads his jazz quartet at festival in July 1959

Ray Reeve at formal affair

Former CBC VP Ben Waters with employees of The Leader at a function.

Jim Goodmon, Ray Wilkinson and John Hudson in WRAL-TV studio

WRAL.com Public Records Researcher/Reporter Tyler Dukes introduced a new WRAL.com tool on Wednesday, May 25, 2016.  Here is the article he wrote about the new feature that helps WRAL viewers and visitors easily find more about state lawmakers: Whether they’re convened on Jones Street or not, the 170 members of the North Carolina General Assembly generate a lot […]

The premiere history-in-the-making event to cover is the Inauguration of the President of the United State of America. It is the ultimate visual of democracy on display. The people have spoken, by way of vote, and a peaceful transfer of power is granted to a new leader. Celebrations are glamourous and parades are grand. Sounds […]

“Passing the Torch” The Inauguration of North Carolina Governor Jim Martin on January 5, 1985. WRAL-TV produced the live coverage of the inauguration for the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and was carried by television stations across the state. WRAL-TV Station Manager Neil Kuvin served as Executive Producer. Directed and produced by WRAL-TV director/producer Pam Parris Allen. WRAL-TV News Anchor Bill Leslie served as primary anchor. Other on-air reporters were provided by stations in North Carolina. Technical set-up provided by WRAL-TV.

WRAL-TV has the first episode of the new local program “Education Matters” ready for debut.  Taping for the first broadcast took place on Thursday, September 29, 2016, in WRAL-TV’s Studio A.  The brand new program, launched the Public School Forum of North Carolina, premieres on Sunday, October 2nd at 11:30am on WRAL-TV. Keith Poston, President […]

Fred Fletcher, son of A.J. Fletcher – founder of Capitol Broadcasting Company, served as WRAL-TV’s first general manager. Fred was known as an entertainer and savvy broadcaster. After his retirement, Fred still loved to entertain an audience. Here Fred and jazz pianist Paul Montgomery, also known to viewers as “Uncle Paul,” perform the Christmas classic “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.” The venue is the annual Golden Years gathering, sometimes known as Golden Agers, that was held in downtown Raleigh.

The 32nd annual Martin Luther King Triangle Interfaith Breakfast took place January 16, 2012.
The gathering celebrated many of the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy which include: respect, equality, opportunity, diversity and a commitment to peace, justice, and non-violent solutions to conflict. All of these principles at the heart of the civil rights movement are equally as relevant to our lives today as we seek to address and solve present-day social issues in our community.

Kay Fletcher does WRAL-FM radio remote from a pool. Remote broadcasts were common in the 1940s and 50s.

Tom Suiter huddles with staff in preparation for another Football Friday show. With Richard Adkins, Clarence Williams and Jay Jennings.

Enjoy watching a compilation of newscasts featuring coverage of the 1992 NCAA Basketball Final Four and championship game. Spoiler alert! Duke University won the championship.

WRAL sent a news and sports team to cover the excitement of the event. You’ll meet the student who was the Duke Blue Devil in 1992.

The 1992 NCAA Basketball Final Four tournament was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Duke University won the championship game. WRAL Sports anchor Tom Suiter was part of team coverage of all the festivities that surrounded the sporting event and of course the game itself.

This short clip shows Tom having fun imitating the iconic hat toss by Mary Tyler Moore as seen during the open of her highly acclaimed weekly CBS comedy show during the ’70s.

AUDIO ONLY – Radio broadcast taped “live” onto a home recorder by Ray Reeve, Jr. – audio level will be low for 90 seconds starting at the 4 minute point into the broadcast. Legendary WRAL sportscaster, Ray Reeve calls the play-by-play action of this classic basketball game pitting UNC (Tar Heels) against USC (Gamecocks) for the 1957 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. The game was played March 9, 1957. UNC won the game 95-75, and advanced to win the NCAA Basketball Championship to cap off a flawless season. Sportscaster Bill Currie provides post game coverage.

WRAL’s LIVE coverage of the victorious NC State basketball team returning to campus after winning the NCAA Basketball Championship in 1974. NC State Wolfpack beat Marquette with the score 76-64. NC State was coached by Norm Sloan and Marquette was coached by Al McGuire. WRAL Sports Anchor Nick Pond provides the commentary.
All of the NC State basketball players are featured in the video including 7’4” Tommy Burleson, David Thompson, Monte Towe and others.

After several years of dreaming, North Carolina landed the Olympic Festival for 1987. The opening ceremonies took place on July 17, 1987 in Carter-Finley stadium in Raleigh. Athletic events were held in nearby cities. Greensboro hosted figure and speed skating. Durham was the site for track and field, soccer and wrestling. Chapel Hill hosted basketball, gymnastics, and swimming. Cary was home base for archery. Raleigh was tapped to host diving, boxing, and equestrian. Kerr Lake was the site for yachting.

WRAL Sports anchors Tom Suiter and Bob Holliday host this special broadcast, Dreams of Gold, leading up to the festival.

Capitol Broadcasting Company was a Grand Patron sponsor of the Festival.

Aired: July 11, 1987

Work underway for constrcution of auditorium dedicated to opera performances. Photo taken June 18, 1965.

The City of Raleigh recently honored WRAL-TV Chief Meteorologist for his efforts to raise awareness of climate change.  Fishel received a City of Raleigh Environmental Award at the 10th annual awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. The event took place in the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing […]

Early excavation at WRAL-TV to add opera auditorium in June 1965

WRAL-TV News Director Sam Beard introduces the program and CEO and Founder of Capitol Broadcasting Company AJ Fletcher explains the purpose of the National Opera Company.
Fletcher believed that opera belonged to everyone and wanted the performances in English so everyone could appreciate the entire presentation.

The National Opera Company provided opportunities for singers/performers to further their professional careers.
In 1965, the National Opera Company gave 55 performances in NC and other Southeastern states.

School children enjoy the Grass Roots Opera performance on October 1, 1951

WRAL’s live broadcast of the Durham Christmas Parade looked flawless on air, but a large crew worked hard behind the scenes to bring the festive fun to viewers. Cutting edge technology, a dedicated staff and some picture-perfect weather all came together for a successful morning both behind and in front of the camera. “The execution […]

A ton of planning and hard work go into WRAL’s coverage of the Raleigh Christmas Parade. The day starts super early for the production team, but they would not miss an opportunity to share the holiday fun with our viewers. WRAL’s 50th Broadcast of the Raleigh Christmas Parade was the best yet. Special guests returned […]

Celebrating 50 Years of Holiday TV Magic! This holiday season, mark your calendars for a historic celebration as WRAL proudly presents the 50th anniversary broadcast of the Raleigh Christmas Parade, set to enchant viewers this Saturday, November 18. Join the festivities from the comfort of your homes with a live broadcast starting at 9 a.m. […]

To make this year’s parade in Raleigh even more holly and jolly, CBC changed things up at WRAL’s Winter Wonderland!  The third year of the event looked much different than year’s past due to COVID-19 precautions we are still taking, but still included lots of fun. This year WRAL threw a Pre-Parade Party, with falling […]

Relive the sights, sounds and holiday memories we’ve made as a community as WRAL celebrates the Raleigh Christmas Parade throughout the month of November, culminating in a live special on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m. Just like the real Raleigh Christmas Parade, you can expect visits from old friends, live performances, memorable parade moments (and […]

Duke University Athletics and Learfield’s Blue Devil Sports Properties have signed a multi-year extension with Capitol Broadcasting to continue as the long-standing radio home of Duke Athletics. WRAL News+, heard in Raleigh on 99.3-FM and in Durham on 96.5-FM, and The Buzz, available on 620-AM and 104.5-FM in Durham, represent the flagship networks for the Blue […]

Tee up a fun golf at American Tobacco.  State of Golf, Downtown Durham’s premier golf & sports simulator lounge opened on June 11, 2024.   Get inspired by US Open play in Pinehurst and come give it a swing. CHECK IT OUT:  Discover Durham Reel at State of Golf Unwind after work or host a unique […]

Need a summer job?  Love baseball?  Interested in finding out about a career in sports management, food service, hospitality and more?  The Greenville Yard Gnomes have a full lineup of opportunities.  Be a part of a brand-new baseball club! Basically, summer staffers will be making history! Members of the CBC Human Resources team joined Yard […]

The Capitol Broadcasting podcast A Brief History of Triangle Sports returned earlier this week with a new season about the long, contentious road to legal sports betting in North Carolina.  The release of the third season of the popular podcast coincided with the start of legal sports betting on March 11, 2024. “This is – […]

99.9 The Fan Sports Talk Host Adam Gold made Barrett Sports Media’s Top 20 MidMarket Midday Shows of 2023.  The 9th annual BSM Top 20 series released the list naming Gold on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. An executive panel of 58 program directors and corporate executives from a variety of top broadcasting companies across the […]

WRAL-TV News Photojournalist Chad Flowers had no idea what he imagined as another day working stories for the Big 5 at the North Carolina State Fair would see him receiving a top honor from the man he calls “the CEO of the Fair.” Flowers received the Ambassador of Agriculture Award from Commissioner of Agriculture Steve […]

WRAL-TV personalities will be on hand to greet viewers at the North Carolina State Fair!  Come by the WRAL tent, on the northeast side of Dorton Arena facing restaurant row, and say “Hi” to your friends from the Big 5. WRAL Anchors, Reporters and Meteorologists will be in the tent in various shifts every day […]

The North Carolina State Fair is currently underway, after a year off due to the pandemic.  WRAL-TV came up with a creative way to have a presence at the beloved NC event during a time when the pandemic is still an issue.  The Big 5 has “planted” a WRAL anchor garden, filled with cut outs […]

Thousands of visitors walked through the WRAL-TV tent at the 2016 North Carolina State Fair and were treated to a history lesson about the Big 5.  WRAL-TV Promotion & Event Coordinator Debbie Tullos talked to Capcom about how the idea for the pop-up mini-museum arose and then how the station’s creative team made it happen: […]

Many people associate the annual North Carolina State Fair with sticky cotton candy, gut wrenching deep fried food, vertigo-inducing rides, pettable goats, and parking madness. But, each year they come back for more. Capitol Broadcasting Company CEO Jim Goodmon delights in telling a couple of state fair stories that brought about “firsts” for WRAL-TV. Early […]

The annual WRAL Tower Lighting is scheduled for Nov. 29, 2023. Tune in to WRAL-TV at 7 p.m. to for a live, half-hour special of music and holiday cheer as we count down to when towers in Raleigh, Durham and Rocky Mount get their holiday glow. WRAL will welcome special musical guests the 82nd Airborne […]

It’s time to Celebrate the Season with WRAL’s 63rd Annual Tower Lighting!  Join CBC on Wednesday, December 1st, as we turn our 300-foot TV tower into North Carolina’s tallest lighted tree!  But!  That’s just part of the fun! CBC will also light the towers at our sister properties at American Tobacco Campus in Durham and […]

“Producing the WRAL Tower Lighting is my favorite assignment every year. Every year, it’s amazing how many people from various departments come together for this project.” – WRAL-TV News Producer Kelly Riner WRAL-TV supersized the tower lighting for 2020, combining the lighting celebrations from American Tobacco’s Lucky Strike Tower, the Rocky Mount Mills Water Tower […]

While some holiday traditions will suffer in 2020, the annual lighting of the WRAL-TV tower is getting bigger and better. Tune in on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. for a Tower Lighting Special, brought to you from three locations – WRAL’s Western Boulevard station, American Tobacco Campus in Durham and Rocky Mount Mills. WRAL is […]

It will soon look a lot like Christmas at the CBC towers across the Triangle: WRAL-TV Tower Lighting CBC will light the WRAL-TV tower for the 61st time on Monday, December 2, 2019.  A special will air at 7pm to celebrate the lighting of the 300-foot tower to light Santa’s way to Raleigh for the […]

The annual WRAL Tower Lighting is scheduled for Nov. 29, 2023. Tune in to WRAL-TV at 7 p.m. to for a live, half-hour special of music and holiday cheer as we count down to when towers in Raleigh, Durham and Rocky Mount get their holiday glow. WRAL will welcome special musical guests the 82nd Airborne […]

“Producing the WRAL Tower Lighting is my favorite assignment every year. Every year, it’s amazing how many people from various departments come together for this project.” – WRAL-TV News Producer Kelly Riner WRAL-TV supersized the tower lighting for 2020, combining the lighting celebrations from American Tobacco’s Lucky Strike Tower, the Rocky Mount Mills Water Tower […]

WRAL-TV’s tower became a beacon for the holidays as is annual tradition on Thursday, December 1, 2016.  The first day of December always marks the WRAL Tower Lighting.  WRAL-TV Anchors Debra Morgan & David Crabtree hosted the event alongside WRAL-TV Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel during the newcasts between 5:00-6:30pm.  The 58th Annual Tower Lighting did […]

Today, December 1, we celebrate the annual WRAL tower lighting for Christmas. During the evening newscast, that giant metal structure behind the building will be transformed into a dazzling tower of power Christmas tree. Over the years, elements of entertainment have been added to create a jolly mood for the viewers. Intermixed throughout the evening […]

The annual tradition of “lighting the tower” on December 1, started in 1959. Over 3000 colorful lightbulbs attached to the tower are turned on near the end of the newscast. This 1982 video shows the moment the lights are turned on. SKY 5 circled the tower in spectacular fashion revealing how magnificent the lights look from the air. Flying SKY5 was pilot Mike Allen.

CEO Jim Goodmon introduces the CBS executives to the WRAL-TV staff in Studio A for the announcement and signing the contract to become a CBS affiliate.

WRAL-TV switched network affiliation from ABC to CBS on August 4, 1985. A series of announcements aired explaining what the change would mean to viewers.

WRAL-TV news coverage announcing and explaining the decision to switch the station’s network affiliation from ABC to CBS.

WRAL-TV switched network affiliation from ABC to CBS on August 4, 1985. A series of announcements aired explaining what the change would mean to viewers.

WRAL-TV switched network affiliation from ABC to CBS on August 4, 1985. A series of announcements explaining what the change would mean to viewers.