Fred Fletcher

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Fred Fletcher was a broadcast executive, entertainer and public servant who — as General Manager of WRAL-AM, WRAL-FM and WRAL-TV — helped shape the first quarter century at Capitol Broadcasting Company.

The eldest son of CBC founder A.J. Fletcher — Fred’s on-air talent, marketing savvy and community spirit made him a perfect fit for the company’s early ventures into broadcasting.

Fred helped launch WRAL-AM in 1939 and soon made a name for himself as the host of a daily talk show called “Tempus Fugit.” Fred would entertain, inform and hold forth with a cast of characters that included his most memorable persona –the lovable “Fairy Tale Man.” During every show Fred would transform into a master storyteller to read the classics from the Brothers Grimm. He was the proverbial one-man-band who created his own sound effects and made up the voices of all the characters. Listeners young and old loved it, and before long “Tempus Fugit” was the top-ranked show in its time period.

Fred Fletcher grew up in North Carolina, but left for college in the Midwest. He earned an undergraduate degree from George Williams College in Chicago and then went to work at a YMCA in South Chicago. Along the way he fell in love with Marjorie “Marjie” Lempke, and they were married in 1936. The young Fletchers soon moved to North Carolina, where Fred earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Sociology at UNC-Chapel Hill. Only then—in 1939–did he turn his attention to his father’s new business – a radio station known as WRAL-AM.

Fred started as WRAL-AM’s Education Director and then moved up to General Manager in 1942. Later he took on additional management duties when CBC signed WRAL-FM on the air in 1946.

The 1950s brought television, and the long, arduous legal battle that eventually won Capitol Broadcasting the coveted license for Channel 5 in Raleigh. Fred was an integral part of the CBC team that fought for and won the license at the FCC.
When WRAL-TV signed on in December 1956 – Fred Fletcher was at the helm as the first Vice President and General Manager. He was later named President of Capitol Broadcasting Company–a title he held until his retirement in 1975.

Fred Fletcher always had an entrepreneurial spirit and his professional career was marked by a series of firsts. Among them, creation in 1954 of the first network of shortwave radio operators to collect and disseminate hurricane information under emergency conditions; creation of the Tobacco Radio Network, which was the first radio news and sports network in North Carolina; and the hiring of the first African-American morning radio host (JD Lewis) in the Deep South.

Fred also started the UCP telethon on WRAL-TV and went on the air each year to personally raise thousands of dollars in the fight against Cerebral Palsy.

From his beginnings with the YMCA in Chicago, Fred Fletcher maintained a deep affection for recreational groups and facilities. One of his favorite events was the annual holiday celebration for the Golden Age clubs at the Raleigh Parks & Recreation department. Fred created the event that grew from less than a hundred attendees to more than a thousand each year. The Golden Years Celebration still thrives each December at the Raleigh Convention Center.

Fred was a devoted public servant. He was elected to Raleigh’s first City Council in 1947 and served Raleigh and Wake County for more than 50 years as a member of various Parks and Recreation commissions. He served as chair of the boards for more than 30 of those years.

In recognition of that service, the City of Raleigh honored Fred by naming a park on Glenwood Avenue after him. In 1985 he was awarded the National Parks & Recreation Association’s “Robert M. Artz Award” for Citizen Volunteer Leadership. In 2007 he was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame.

Fred Fletcher was also active in the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and served as President of the organization in 1963. The NCAB honored him in 1982 by inducting him into its Hall of Fame.

Fred Fletcher – CBC’s beloved “Fairy Tale Man” — died January 8, 2000 after a long illness. He was 89.

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Highlights for Fred Fletcher

A CBC Christmas Classic: Fred Fletcher and My Two Front Teeth

Fred Fletcher, son of Capitol Broadcasting founder A.J. Fletcher, helped launch WRAL-AM in 1939 and went on to play a variety of leadership roles as CBC expanded into television. Besides serving as General Manager, Fletcher was known for his love
WRAL-TV groundbreaking celebration with NBC star Dorothy Collins

Collins surrounded by George Geoghegan, Fred Fletcher, A.J. Fletcher, Charles Campbell and Wesley Williams
WRAL 60th Groundbreaking Retrospective by The Tar Heel Traveler

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.
Ratings Dominator from the Start!

WRAL’s dominance in ratings started right-off-the-bat after The Big 5 signed-on in December, 1956. According to then WRAL General Manager Fred Fletcher in his book Tempus Fugit, “By July, 1958 – a year and a half after sign-on – we
Tempus Fugit show

Host Fred Fletcher conducts an interview during live Tempus Fugit program at NC Farmers Market

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Fred Fletcher

Highlights for Fred Fletcher

A CBC Christmas Classic: Fred Fletcher and My Two Front Teeth

WRAL-TV groundbreaking celebration with NBC star Dorothy Collins

WRAL 60th Groundbreaking Retrospective by The Tar Heel Traveler

Ratings Dominator from the Start!

Tempus Fugit show