More Highlights for Rick Armstrong

• Tar Heel Tartans

  Tar Heel Tartans!

  WRAL news anchor Bill Leslie and news photographer Rick Armstrong document North Carolina native Bill Caudill’s search for his Scottish ancestral homeland. Along the way they meet an artist, visit castles, watch Bill Caudill participate in a bagpipe competition and learn about the significance of the tartan.

  Enjoy this six part series produced in May, 1986 and aired prior to the annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans in July, 1986. You will discover that the people in Scotland have a high regard for the gathering that takes place every year near Linville, North Carolina.

  Bill Caudill is Director of the Scottish Heritage Center and Instructor of the College Pipe Band at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina.

• “Give Thanks for Carolina” photo essay by Bill Leslie

  “Give Thanks for Carolina” was primarily shot and edited by WRAL news photographer Rick Armstrong and set to music composed and performed by WRAL news anchor Bill Leslie.

• “The Pumpkins Strike Back” vignettes

  “The Pumpkins Strike Back” is a delightful, cheesy series of four vignettes that aired on WRAL-TV during the late night Halloween movie on October 31, 1981. During the commercial breaks, “The Pumpkins Strike Back” would air prior to the commercials, then back to the movie.

  Rowell Gorman, “The Man of a Thousand Voices”, wrote the script and provided different voices to the pumpkin characters, as well as appearing in the production. Other “actors” were staff members at WRAL, many who had never acted before – and that will be apparent! The vignettes were produced by the WRAL production staff.

  The parody is loosely based on several blockbuster movies including STAR WARS, PSYCHO and PATTON. But “The Pumpkins Strike Back” is in a league of its own. Enjoy!

  NOTE: Single channel audio. Originally produced on 3/4 inch videotape.

• Jamburger sports promo with sports anchor Tom Suiter

  WRAL sports anchor Tom Suiter coined the phrase “Jamburger” when a basketball player would stuff, or jam, the basketball into the hoop with full force. This creative 30 second promo highlighted an upcoming program featuring ACC basketball players and their teams. Rick Armstrong, WRAL news photog, played the role of “car driver’ at the fast food drive-thru. Produced in 1994.

• WRAL news crew with ENG microwave truck

  Reporter-Photographer Rick Armstrong sets up camera for live report using one of the early WRAL live trucks.