Bobbie Battista

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Barbara Ann “Bobbie” Battista was a producer, on-air host and primary evening news anchor at WRAL-TV from 1974 to 1981.

Battista graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film production. Not long afterward, she began her broadcast career as a DJ at WAKS Radio – a country music station in Fuquay-Varina. Her on-air name was “Bobbie Ann.”

Battista joined WRAL-TV in 1974 as a secretary, but she quickly convinced station management to put her on the air in 1976. She produced and anchored the WRAL morning news and other special programming until 1977, when she joined Charlie Gaddy on the station’s 6:00 and 11:00 o’clock news. Gaddy and Battista formed the first male-female anchor team in the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville television market.

Over the next four years WRAL achieved ratings dominance and in late 1981 Bobbie answered Ted Turner’s call to join a start-up cable network known as CNN. She was hired as one of the original anchors on CNN Headline News, but by 1986 Battista moved to CNN’s flagship cable channel where she became one of the network’s most recognizable stars.

During this time at CNN Battista also anchored a daily program for CNN International, making her the only anchor in CNN history to work at all three CNN networks. In 1998 Battista was chosen to host television’s first daily interactive talk show – Talkback Live.

Battista left CNN after the company merged with America Online in 2001. In 2002 she became a principal in the Atamira Communications firm in Atlanta, where she provided communications consulting for corporate clients.

In 2009, she began making periodic appearances on the Onion News Network (ONN), a satirical news organization. And in early 2014, Battista was named host of Georgia Public Broadcasting’s new nightly news program On the Story.

Among Battista’s many honors is the prestigious George Foster Peabody award for a documentary on juvenile crime.

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Highlights for Bobbie Battista

CBC Mourns Loss of Legendary WRAL-TV Anchor Bobbie Battista

Former CNN anchor Bobbie Battista has passed away at the age of 67, according to a family spokeswoman. Battista passed away on Tuesday morning, March 3, 2020, after a four-year battle with cervical cancer, according to Wendy Guarisco, family spokeswoman.
Bloopers with Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy circa 1979

Thankfully most bloopers, mistakes, and giggle fits do not happen on the air. However, after a newscast – while taping “updates” to play during the evening – a case of the giggles can happen. The stress and tension of being perfect during a live broadcast is off, and being able to relax a bit often plays out in bloopers.

Chuckle along with legendary WRAL news anchor team Charlie Gaddy and Bobbie Battista from the late ’70s. In 1981, Bobbie Battista joined CNN in Atlanta where she was a news anchor for many years. Charlie Gaddy retired from WRAL in 1994.
Battista and Gaddy chat with Goodmon

Legendary anchors Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy with CBC President Jim Goodmon before the WRAL 50th Anniversary newscast in 2006.
WRAL anchors old and new at 50th reuncion newscast

Bob DeBardelaben, Bobbie Battista, Charlie Gaddy and Tom Suiter are joined by successors at reunion in 2006
WRAL 60th Anniversary “The Early Years” by The Tar Heel Traveler

WRAL celebrated 60 years of broadcasting on December 15, 2016. In recognition of that anniversary, Scott Mason – better known as The Tar Heel Traveler – took viewers on a time travel, via black and white film footage, to witness several news events covered by WRAL during the early years.

A few of the highlights include President John F. Kennedy’s visit to the campus of UNC to WRAL News Director Bill Armstrong’s interview with NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong while he was training at the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill. Meet Marlene Carole, WRAL’s first female weatherperson who used a chalkboard to write the high and low temperatures – with an eye-wink. Later we see WRAL transition to color and then lead the nation in HD technology.

Feature edited by WRAL Tar Heel Traveler photographer Bob Meikle.

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Bobbie Battista

Highlights for Bobbie Battista

CBC Mourns Loss of Legendary WRAL-TV Anchor Bobbie Battista

Bloopers with Bobbie Battista and Charlie Gaddy circa 1979

Battista and Gaddy chat with Goodmon

WRAL anchors old and new at 50th reuncion newscast

WRAL 60th Anniversary “The Early Years” by The Tar Heel Traveler