• Elections

    Elections

    Coverage of elections and the political process has always been one of the hallmarks of Capitol Broadcasting Company.  CBC journalists have made political news a priority on the company’s radio and television stations plus the internet.

     

    • 1964 Election coverage on WRAL-TV

      Bill Armstrong, Sam Beard and Scottie Stephenson on set election night at WRAL-TV.

    • Election coverage at WRAL-TV

      Anchors Adele Arakawa and Charlie Gaddy host election coverage from the WRAL newsroom.

    • WRAL anchors on election night

      Adele Arakawa and Charlie Gaddy discuss election results with analyst in 1988

    • Bowles vs Dole Debate

      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.

    • Election coverage for 1972 NC primary

      WRAL-TV reporter Russell Capps ready to offer results for Wake County during election coverage.

  • Femme Fare

     

    “Femme Fare—WRAL-TV’s Magazine of the Air for the Modern Woman” was a pioneering weekday program on WRAL-TV from 1963 to 1977.

    The program was hosted by WRAL Woman’s Director Bette Elliott and featured a wide range of news and features with women viewers in mind. Elliott was a veteran newspaper reporter and columnist who quickly found a following as host of the program.

    Femme Fare was produced every weekday in the WRAL-TV studios. The show included regular features on cooking, sewing and flower arranging, but also delved into serious topics such as women’s health, business issues, the arts and culture.

    Elliott used the traditional kitchen set for some segments, but branched out to host full fashion shows and other segments on location outside the studio. She would travel to New York City regularly to get an early look at the fashions of the day, producing reports that would give Triangle viewers insight on the coming trends.

    The Femme Fare program earned several major honors; it claimed the TV-Radio Mirror Award for outstanding programming in 1969 and then again in 1971.

     

    • Bette Elliott

      Femme Fare host enjoying a moment at WRAL-TV 10th anniversary open house in 1966.

    • Bette Elliott greets guests

      Femme Fare host greets guests at WRAL-TV 10th anniversary celebration.

    • Bette Elliott

      Femme Fare host in 1960s staff photo

    • Femme Fare models

      Models posing for Femme Fare television show. Host Bette Elliott always featured the latest fashions on her signature program.

    • Fort Bragg reporters on Femme Fare

      Every week reporters from Fort Bragg would appear on Femme Fare to bring viewers military news. L-R: Private Paul Michels and Sergeant Bill Altman in a December 1966 photo.

  • News Specials

    News Specials

    When major events take place, CBC is there to provide special coverage that goes beyond the typical newscast.  From inaugurations to statewide anniversaries and celebrations, CBC brought the story home to listeners and viewers.

     

    • Scheduling Change: WRAL-TV Coronavirus Specials at 7pm, 11pm News Expands to One Hour

      Due to the coronavirus concerns, WRAL-TV will make two major scheduling changes beginning Monday, March 16, 2020: WRAL-TV will produce and broadcast 7pm local news specials all week. The programs will be 30 minutes long.  (Inside Edition will move to 7:30pm). WRAL-TV will expand to one hour of local news at 11pm. This will continue […]
    • Gaddy and Hefner before WRAL 50th anniversary reunion newscast

      Charlie Gaddy chats with WRAL GM Jim Hefner before reunion newscast in 2006

    • DeBardelaben and Gaddy

      Legendary anchors Bob DeBardelaben and Charlie Gaddy share a moment following 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

    • 1992 NC Friendship Force Trip to Moscow Final report of 11 Elle Lysova

      The USSR ceased to exist on December 26, 1991. A few weeks later, WRAL News anchor Donna Gregory and WRAL photographer Jay Jennings accompanied the NC Friendship Force on a trip to Russia, now formerly the USSR, in mid-January 1992.

      Meet Elle Lyosa, a physical therapist who works at Moscow State University. She is paid the equivalent of three dollars of month. She is a single mother with a four year old son. Their home is an apartment that is 9‘ X 15’. Her outlook is positive as she seeks to better her life.

      This is the last of 11 reports that aired on WRAL News.

  • Newscasts

     

    News programming is at the very heart of Capitol Broadcasting’s mission statement. CBC Founder A.J. Fletcher promised that his company would provide news and information “without bias or favor,” and CBC news operations have followed that guideline as a core value.

    Over the last six decades WRAL-TV News has distinguished itself as one of the premier television news operations in the country. Central to the success of WRAL-TV News is its award-winning staff of journalists, who report and produce some of the best television newscasts in the nation.

     

    • WRAL-TV’s Brian Shrader Announces Newscast Move

      WRAL-TV Anchor/Reporter Brian Shrader made a big announcement on Friday, April 19, 2024.  After 16 ½ years as morning traffic anchor, Shrader will be moving to evenings on WRAL.  He will be taking over tracking breaking news in the WRAL Live Center during the evening and late newscasts. “I’m really looking forward to SLEEPING, but […]
    • CBC-UNC Diversity Fellowship celebrates 10 years with a new class of student journalists

      CBC and UNC-Chapel Hill hosted the 10th CBC-UNC Diversity Fellowship this month. Top student journalists  representing universities from across the country came to WRAL to produce two newscasts during Spring Break. The 2024 class included students from the University of Florida, North Carolina A&T State University, Temple University, Shaw University, University of South Carolina, University […]
    • Cloudy Day Means WRAL Weather Patio Gets Noon News Debut

      The WRAL Weather Patio got to make a second debut on Friday, November 10, 2023, thanks to Mother Nature.  The new outdoor studio will mainly be used during the 4p and 5p newscasts due to the location of the sun; the noon newscast will only be outside on cloudy days, due to the glare.  However, […]
    • WRAL Weather Patio Debuts During Thursday Evening Newscasts

      WRAL-TV is taking weather forecasting to where the weather is: outside! On Thursday, November 9, 2023, the station debuted the WRAL Weather Patio during the 4p and 5p newscasts. “It will be great to experience the weather first-hand instead of being indoors all day!” said WRAL-TV Meteorologist Mike Maze. The WRAL team does not remember […]
    • Tune in to WRAL-TV for 2020 Tokyo Olympics Coverage, The Olympic Zone Returns

      Tune in to WRAL-TV for your Summer Olympics coverage with the Opening Ceremony today, Friday, July 23, 2021.  WRAL-TV will not only have coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games during all newscasts as well as daily competitions from NBC but is bringing back The Olympic Zone.  The live half-hour special will air Monday – […]
  • Ongoing News Coverage

     

    Good news organizations cover more than breaking news; they cover issues and themes that affect citizens over long periods of time.  Ongoing coverage has always been a strength of CBC newsrooms and that commitment has resulted in local, regional and national awards.

     

    • SKY 5 Directs Boy Scout River Rescue

      SKY 5 pilot Mike Allen finds two missing boy scouts and their scoutmaster clinging to trees after their canoes overturned in the Cape Fear River in Harnett County.

      Since SKY 5 is not equipped with rescue gear, the National Guard helicopter was called to execute the rescue., while SKY 5 oversaw the direction.

      Circa 1983.

    • American Idol Winner Scotty McCreery

      Scotty McCreery won season 10 of American Idol in 2011. McCreery is a country music singer who grew up in Garner, North Carolina, a few miles east of Raleigh. WRAL and sister station WRAZ provided extensive coverage about McCreery’s rise to fame on American Idol and ultimately winning the contest. WRAL reporter Monica Laliberte gives us an overview of Scott’s journey from audition to advancing to the finals.

    • CRIBBAGE

      Cribbage players travel to Raleigh, North Carolina to compete in the annual National Cribbage Tournament – the world’s largest cribbage event.

      Nick Pond, former WRAL Sports director/anchor and avid cribbage player, formed the American Cribbage Congress and national tournament in 1973. The competition was held in the studios of WRAL-TV.

      We have two vintage stories about the tournament. The first story aired in 2013. Scott Mason, the Tar Heel Traveler, provides a bit of history about this brainy card game.

      The second video aired in 1979. WRAL News reporter Del Walters talks with WRAL Sports anchor Nick Pond explains how cribbage, a popular game at family and friend gatherings, came out of the living room to take center stage with its own tournament.

    • NOAA Hurricane Hunter Aircraft

      WRAL News photographer Richard Adkins flew into the eye of a storm named Irene, August 2011. You’ll see what happens inside this special aircraft referred to as a “Hurricane Hunter” as it criss-crosses through a hurricane.

      Adkins wrote and shot this story. It is voiced by WRAL News anchor David Crabtree.

      Hold on to your seat as you watch!

    • 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.

  • Public Affairs and Editorials

    Public Affairs and Editorials

    CBC’s dedication to the public interest is on display through its timely public affairs programming. Regularly-scheduled programs on television and radio examine serious issues that affect the lives of citizens in the community.

    Over the years CBC has also offered television and radio commentary on important issues of the day. By taking a stand, CBC sought to heighten awareness and spark lively debate over issues of public concern.

    • 30 Minutes

      “30 Minutes” was a weekly public affairs program that was produced on WRAL-TV in 1996-97. The program aired on Saturday evenings and was hosted by WRAL news anchor David Crabtree.

      Similar programs in this time period were “Q&A with David Crabtree” and “Headline Saturday.”

    • Carolina Saturday

      “Carolina Saturday” was a WRAL-TV issues program hosted by Public Affairs Director Waltye Rasulala.  The weekly program aired in the 1980s.

    • Editorials

      CBC founder A.J. Fletcher thought that it was important for his company to weigh in publicly on the issues of the day. As a result, CBC has a long history of editorial commentary that aired on WRAL-TV and the company’s radio outlets.

      There’s no doubt that the most famous Capitol Broadcasting Company editorialist was Jesse Helms, whose controversial commentaries were broadcast from 1960-1972. Other commentators who delivered CBC’s editorial opinions over the years include William P. Cheshire, Carl Goerch, Joel Lawhon, J.D. Lewis, Charles Dunn and Giles Lambertson.

      Several guest editorials are featured in this part of the history archive, but notably missing are any of the legendary commentaries by Jesse Helms. WRAL-TV is often asked: What happened to all those “Viewpoint” editorials? The short answer is that the video segments simply weren’t preserved. While that answer is true, it bears more explanation, which in turn calls for a bit of history about television production in the early days of the medium.

      In the early days of broadcasting local television stations carried a mixture of live programming and occasional segments shot on film. Videotape technology was introduced in the 1950s and 1960s, but the new production method did little to promote the archival preservation of television’s early content (to see WRAL-TV’s first videotape machine, type “videotape” into the search box).

      The first VTR (videotape recorder) machines utilized costly reels of two-inch-wide magnetic tape. Standard practice was to record a segment on a reel of videotape and then re-use it after the programming had aired. It was just too expensive for most stations to save tapes for posterity, so they were used over and over until they wore out.

      The new technology made it relatively easy for WRAL personnel to record the Viewpoint editorials, but it also made it just as easy to erase them. Jesse Helms would record his daily editorial on videotape and it would air in that night’s newscast. The next day the same videotape would be rewound and used again—wiping away the previous day’s commentary forever.

      This “re-use” practice erased countless hours of classic programming. Not only were the Viewpoint editorials lost, so were shows like “Tempus Fugit,” “Cap’n Five,” and “Femme Fare.” The practice gradually began to change when smaller, cheaper videotape formats were introduced in the mid-to-late 1970s, but by then many of WRAL-TV’s classic programs had been lost to the ages.

    • Harambee

      “Harambee” was a weekly program hosted by Public Affairs Director J.D. Lewis.  The show focused on issues of the day–particularly those affecting minority communities.

    • On the Record

  • Tar Heel Traveler

     

    The Tar Heel Traveler is the name of a feature reporting segment that has appeared in WRAL-TV newscast since the 1970s.

    Like other local television feature franchises, the Tar Heel Traveler was inspired by Charles Kuralt’s “On the Road” reports that premiered on CBS in 1967. Kuralt traveled the nation’s byways in search of interesting characters, places and things, and it wasn’t long before similar reports showed up on local television stations.

    Channel 5 launched the Tar Heel Traveler in the 1970s and seven reporters have produced stories for the franchise through the years. John Pronk was the first, followed by Skip Cilley, Mike Stevens, Bill Draper, Bill Leslie and Les Boney.

    WRAL’s Scott Mason assumed the Traveler mantle in 2007 and he has produced more than 1,300 Tar Heel Traveler features in the years since.

     

    • Tar Heel Traveler Features Unique Brewery at Rocky Mount Mills

      Two CBC interests came together recently when WRAL-TV’s Tar Heel Traveler Scott Mason took a trip to Rocky Mount Mills and discovered Spaceway Brewery.  Mason featured the brewery and its CEO and Brewmaster Briana Brake on Tar Heel Traveler segment for WRAL-TV news. “My number one goal is to make the best beer that I […]
    • Looking Back at 65 Years on Air for WRAL-TV

      Earlier in December, WRAL-TV celebrated 65 years on the air.  WRAL-TV Reporter Scott Mason, the Tar Heel Traveler, created this video package in honor of the milestone:
    • Tar Heel Traveler Scott Mason Honored for His Impact on North Carolina

      Scott Mason, WRAL’s Tar Heel Traveler, was honored with the Sanford Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. Meg Moss, executive director for the Sanford Chamber of Commerce, said the award honors Mason for his significant impact on the state of North Carolina and Lee County especially. Mason, who joined the WRAL […]
    • CRIBBAGE

      Cribbage players travel to Raleigh, North Carolina to compete in the annual National Cribbage Tournament – the world’s largest cribbage event.

      Nick Pond, former WRAL Sports director/anchor and avid cribbage player, formed the American Cribbage Congress and national tournament in 1973. The competition was held in the studios of WRAL-TV.

      We have two vintage stories about the tournament. The first story aired in 2013. Scott Mason, the Tar Heel Traveler, provides a bit of history about this brainy card game.

      The second video aired in 1979. WRAL News reporter Del Walters talks with WRAL Sports anchor Nick Pond explains how cribbage, a popular game at family and friend gatherings, came out of the living room to take center stage with its own tournament.

    • 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.

  • The Southern Sportsman

     

     

    • The Southern Sportsman with Franc White

      The Southern Sportsman was Franc White. Franc shot his own film and shared his adventures on his television show produced at the studios of WRAL-TV.

      His dog was named Frickus. Frank flew an airplane painted in a zebra pattern. And he would end every program by saying, “Do yourself a favor…take a kid fishing.”

      This particular episode was produced in 1992, but apparently aired in January 1993. The video is poor in quality since it was recorded “off-air” by a viewer who lived on the fringes of the television signal. But, it has survived all these years.

      Franc passed away in 2012 at the age of 86.

    • Franc White THE SOUTHERN SPORTSMAN Commentary 44

      Franc White, better known as The Southern Sportsman, was an avid outdoorsman. Through his television program he shared his love for hunting, fishing, and cooking. Through his “Franc White Commentary” he shared his concerns regarding ecological issues as of 1993. Many say Franc White was way ahead of his time. (Franc White passed away June 6, 2012)

    • Franc White THE SOUTHERN SPORTSMAN Commentary 43

      Franc White, better known as The Southern Sportsman, was an avid outdoorsman. Through his television program he shared his love for hunting, fishing, and cooking. Through his “Franc White Commentary” he shared his concerns regarding ecological issues as of 1993. Many say Franc White was way ahead of his time. (Franc White passed away June 6, 2012)

    • Franc White THE SOUTHERN SPORTSMAN Commentary 42

      Franc White, better known as The Southern Sportsman, was an avid outdoorsman. Through his television program he shared his love for hunting, fishing, and cooking. Through his “Franc White Commentary” he shared his concerns regarding ecological issues as of 1993. Many say Franc White was way ahead of his time. (Franc White passed away June 6, 2012)

    • Franc White THE SOUTHERN SPORTSMAN Commentary 41

      Franc White, better known as The Southern Sportsman, was an avid outdoorsman. Through his television program he shared his love for hunting, fishing, and cooking. Through his “Franc White Commentary” he shared his concerns regarding ecological issues as of 1993. Many say Franc White was way ahead of his time. (Franc White passed away June 6, 2012)

  • WRAL Documentaries

    WRAL Documentaries

    WRAL-TV is one of the few stations in America that still produces news documentaries on a regular basis.  The station’s fulltime documentary staff turns out long-form programs on a variety of important issues, continuing a longtime commitment to in-depth journalism.

     

    • FOCAL POINT Green Acres documentary 2006

      Focal Point: Green Acres looks at how development is affecting ordinary people and places across North Carolina. It examines development trends that may hold the key to managing growth in a way that protects important green spaces and it looks at how conservation groups are scrambling to protect land in the face of rapid growth and skyrocketing land prices.

      The program, hosted by WRAL News anchor Bill Leslie, aired Wednesday, August 9 2006.

    • Searching for a Fix documentary

      “Searching for a Fix”

      Heroin is no longer a back-alley drug. It’s mainstream, in your neighborhood, and in homes just like yours. The path from prescription opioids like Oxycodone and Percocet to cheaper and more readily available heroin is a dangerous one.

      “Searching for a Fix” goes beyond the overwhelming statistics to tell intimate, personal stories of how this problem affects real people and devastates families just like yours in every corner of North Carolina. “In all of my years of documentary production, they were the most gut-wrenching and deeply personal interviews I’ve ever done. They were emotional, moving and eye-opening,” said WRAL Documentary Producer Clay Johnson.

      The program aired August 1, 2017

    • WRAL Focal Point State of Minds

      Hosted by WRAL News anchor and reporter Cullen Browder, Focal Point: “State of Minds” profiles mentally ill patients, their families, providers and other people affected by mental health care reform in North Carolina. It looks at the challenges faced by patients and their families in a system that for many has become more complicated, confusing and harder to access. It investigates the controversial spending by some LME’s and the challenges faced by private companies as they try to provide mental health services in a more competitive environment that has driven some providers out of business.

      Producer and writer – Clay Johnson
      Photographer and editor – Jay Jennings
      Aired September 26, 2007

    • Black and Blue documentary and forum

      The ambush-style killings of five Dallas police officers on July 7, 2016 ignited a conversation at WRAL-TV about how the station could respond, as tensions increased between police and the African-American community nationwide. After conversations with local leaders, WRAL began work on a documentary focused on shootings of black men in North Carolina, and the relationship between police departments and African American communities in Raleigh, Durham, and Fayetteville, NC.

      WRAL Documentary: Black & BlueThe WRAL Documentary, “Black and Blue,” was the first part of a two-hour community conversation on TV, web and social media. The documentary was simulcast on Capitol Broadcasting’s television stations and OTT channels. The exclusive online forum that followed, “Beyond Black and Blue,” was a critical conversation with law enforcement, faith leaders, and members of the black community. “Beyond Black and Blue” was live-streamed immediately following the premiere of the documentary and supported by additional station-produced online content.

      The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) honored Capitol Broadcasting Company with the coveted Service to Community Award at its annual Celebration of Service to America gala in Washington, DC on June 20, 2017.

      Documentary hosted by WRAL News anchor Gerald Owens.
      Forum discussion moderated by Tru Pettigrew.
      Aired December, 2016.

    • America’s Favorite Journey: The Blue Ridge Parkway

      America’s Favorite Journey: The Blue Ridge Parkway

      The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most popular destination in our national park system, hosting about 17 million visitors a year.

      Nearly half the 469-mile route runs through North Carolina, including its highest elevations. Some of the parkway’s iconic features are in our state, including its highest peak and the Linn Cove Viaduct at Grandfather Mountain.

      Visitors to the parkway generate more than $2 billion dollars a year for mountain communities. Its biological diversity, rich history and its parks and trails make the parkway a valuable educational and recreational resource.

      Host: WRAL News anchor Bill Leslie
      Producer/writer: Clay Johnson
      Photographer/editor: Jay Jennings

      America’s Favorite Journey’ aired June 29, 2010 on WRAL-TV.