History of WRAL-TV in Timeline
WRAL-TV is a television station based in Raleigh, North Carolina, serving the Research Triangle area as an NBC affiliate. Crucially, it is the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company, which has maintained ownership since the station's founding. WRAL-TV plays a significant role in local news and broadcasting within its region.
3 hours ago : Person found dead after Cary townhouse garage fire investigated by authorities.
Authorities are investigating a fire in a Cary townhouse garage where a person was found dead after extinguishing small flames. The circumstances surrounding the death are currently unknown. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
1938: Capitol Broadcasting Company Licenses WRAL Radio
In 1938, A.J. Fletcher's Capitol Broadcasting Company licensed WRAL Radio (AM 1240, now WPJL).
1953: WRAL Covers Agricultural Markets and Farm News
During 1953, WRAL was one of the first stations in North Carolina to cover agricultural markets and farm news in its regular newscasts. Farm Program aired from 6 to 6:15 a.m. and Regional and Farm News aired between 12:45 and 12:55 p.m. from Fayetteville.
December 15, 1956: WRAL-TV Begins Broadcasting
On December 15, 1956, WRAL-TV began broadcasting. The first programs included the movie Miracle on 34th Street.
1957: CBS Affiliation Moves to WTVD
At the end of 1957, when WNAO-TV went dark, the CBS affiliation moved to WTVD, and WRAL shared ABC with WTVD.
1960: Jesse Helms Becomes Editorialist on WRAL-TV
In 1960, Jesse Helms became an editorialist on WRAL-TV's news broadcasts, presenting conservative commentaries.
1961: Time for Uncle Paul Premieres
In 1961, WRAL's longest-running children's program, Time for Uncle Paul, premiered, starring Paul Montgomery.
August 1, 1962: WRAL Takes ABC Affiliation Full-Time
On August 1, 1962, WRAL channel 5 took the ABC affiliation full-time after sharing ABC with WTVD. This was unusual for a two-station market at the time.
January 3, 1967: WRAL Continues to Carry The Huntley-Brinkley Report
On January 3, 1967, despite being an ABC affiliate, WRAL continued to carry The Huntley-Brinkley Report until ABC's own evening newscasts expanded to 30 minutes.
1971: NBC Programming Moves to WRDU-TV
In 1971, NBC was all but forced to move its programming full-time to WRDU-TV.
1972: Jesse Helms Elected to United States Senate
In 1972, Jesse Helms was elected to the United States Senate, after being an editorialist on WRAL-TV since 1960.
1977: ACC Football and Basketball Air on WRAL
In 1977, ACC football and basketball from Raycom Sports moved to WRAL from WTVD.
1979: WRAL Introduces Sky 5 News Helicopter
In 1979, WRAL became the state's first television station to use a news helicopter, known as "Sky 5". The Hughes 500 helicopter N8624F was painted in the livery of the Royal Saudi Air Force with "Sky 5" graphics added.
1981: Time for Uncle Paul Ends
In 1981, Time for Uncle Paul ended after station management suggested a change to an educational format.
1981: NCAA Tournament Airs on CBS
Since 1981, the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament has aired on CBS.
March 1985: Capital Cities Communications Purchases ABC
In March 1985, Capital Cities Communications, the owner of WTVD, purchased ABC, making WTVD an owned-and-operated station of that network.
August 4, 1985: CBS Affiliation Moves to WRAL-TV
On August 4, 1985, the CBS affiliation moved to WRAL-TV after Capital Cities Communications purchased ABC and WTVD became an owned-and-operated station of ABC.
1985: WRAL Becomes Home for NCAA Tournament
In 1985, when WRAL joined CBS, it became the Triangle's home for the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
1986: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Appearance
In 1986, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship appearances.
1987: Steve Wiley Begins Flying for WRAL
In 1987, Steve Wiley began flying for WRAL until his death on February 3, 2021. He flew the helicopter for the station for many years.
1988: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' Final Four Appearance
In 1988, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' Final Four appearances.
December 1989: WRAL Knocked Off Air by Ice Storm
In December 1989, WRAL was knocked off the air when a severe ice storm caused the collapse of the station's transmitter tower. WRAL made a deal with WKFT-TV to return to the air in three hours.
1989: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' Final Four Appearance
In 1989, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' Final Four appearances.
October 25, 1990: WRAL Activates New Tower
On October 25, 1990, WRAL activated its new, stronger tower, after the old one collapsed in December 1989. WKFT reverted to broadcasting its own programming.
1990: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Appearance
In 1990, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship appearances.
1991: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Victory
In 1991, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship victories.
1992: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Victory
In 1992, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship victories.
January 1993: WRAL Airs The Young and the Restless at 4 PM
In January 1993, WRAL began airing The Young and the Restless at 4 p.m., instead of the CBS-recommended 12:30 p.m. timeslot, as a lead-in to its 5 p.m. newscast.
1993: WRAL Airs Tar Heels' National Championship Win
In 1993, WRAL aired the North Carolina Tar Heels' national championship win.
July 1, 1994: Charlie Gaddy Retires
On July 1, 1994, Charlie Gaddy retired from co-anchoring newscasts.
1994: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Appearance
In 1994, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship appearances.
1995: NBC Moves to WNCN
In 1995, NBC programming moved to WNCN, but that station remained in third place for most of its 20-year run with the network.
1995: WRAL Airs Tar Heels' Final Four Appearance
In 1995, WRAL aired one of the North Carolina Tar Heels' Final Four appearances.
June 19, 1996: FCC Awards WRAL-TV Experimental High-Definition License
On June 19, 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) awarded WRAL-TV the first experimental high-definition television license in the United States.
July 23, 1996: WRAL-HD Begins Digital Television Operations
On July 23, 1996, WRAL-HD, began digital television operations on UHF channel 32 after receiving the first experimental high-definition television license.
1996: WRAL Obtains Experimental HD Transmission License
In 1996, WRAL became the first commercial station to provide high definition programming when it obtained an experimental HD transmission license from the FCC.
September 6, 1997: First Live HD Sports Program Broadcast
On September 6, 1997, WRAL-TV was the first in the U.S. to broadcast a live sports program in high definition.
1997: WRAL Airs Tar Heels' Final Four Appearance
In 1997, WRAL aired one of the North Carolina Tar Heels' Final Four appearances.
1997: WRAL Receives Emmy Awards
In 1997, WRAL received eight Mid-South Regional Emmy Awards including those for news excellence, best newscast, best hard news series and investigative reporting.
1998: WRAL Airs Tar Heels' Final Four Appearance
In 1998, WRAL aired one of the North Carolina Tar Heels' Final Four appearances.
1998: WRAL Receives Emmy Awards
In 1998, WRAL received seven Mid-South Regional Emmy Awards including those for best daytime newscast, special event coverage, news magazine, news promotion, public service announcement, and best children's entertainment program.
1999: CBS Provides HD Programming to WRAL
In 1999, CBS began providing WRAL with a regular schedule of prime time programs in HD, utilizing WRAL-HD in testing its own high-definition programming.
1999: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Appearance
In 1999, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship appearances.
March 2000: WRAL Digital Signal Moves to Channel 53
In March 2000, the digital signal for WRAL moved to channel 53.
October 13, 2000: WRAL Aired World's First All-HD Newscast
On October 13, 2000, WRAL aired the world's first all-HD newscast, marking a significant milestone in broadcasting history.
2000: WRAL Airs Tar Heels' Final Four Appearance
In 2000, WRAL aired one of the North Carolina Tar Heels' Final Four appearances.
2000: Purchase of new helicopter
In 2000, WRAL purchased the current Bell 407 helicopter for $2 million. The N553HD tail number represents the station's channel, that this is the third news gathering helicopter for the station and WRAL's role in pioneering high definition broadcasting.
2000: WRAL Awarded Emmy Awards
In 2000, WRAL was awarded nine Mid-South Regional Emmy Awards including for documentaries on the Cape Light and coverage of the Special Olympics World Games. Jim Goodmon, president and CEO of WRAL parent company Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc., was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award as well.
January 28, 2001: WRAL Converts to All Digital High Definition
On January 28, 2001, WRAL converted all of its newsgathering and broadcasts to all digital high definition, including the WRAZ newscasts.
2001: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Victory
In 2001, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship victories.
2002: Football Friday Moves to Newsroom
In 2002, the arrival of the North Carolina Education Lottery moved the show Football Friday to the newsroom.
October 2003: End of Full-Time Farm Reporter
After the unexpected death of Dan Wilkinson in October 2003, WRAL decided to discontinue having a full-time farm reporter, leading to a reduction in frequent agricultural coverage.
2003: Cupid Did Not Air on WRAL
In 2003, the reality show Cupid did not air on WRAL, and WRAL was one of a few CBS affiliates that did not carry an hour of CBS' weekend morning children's programming block.
2004: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' Final Four Appearance
In 2004, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' Final Four appearances.
2005: WRAL Airs Tar Heels' National Championship Win
In 2005, WRAL aired the North Carolina Tar Heels' national championship win.
February 1, 2006: WRAL to Stream Programming Live on the Internet
On February 1, 2006, WRAL announced it would begin streaming all of its programming live on the internet.
November 17, 2006: WRAL Reunion Newscast for 50th Anniversary
On November 17, 2006, WRAL held a special "reunion" newscast during the 6 p.m. broadcast with Gaddy, Battista, and DeBardelaben reprising their roles alongside Suiter in commemoration of the station's 50th anniversary.
2006: WRAL and UNC-TV Co-Produce Parade of Sail Tall Ship Show
In 2006, WRAL and UNC-TV co-produced the Parade of Sail Tall Ship Show in Beaufort.
October 10, 2007: WRAL Launches Sports Talk Radio Station WCMC-FM
On October 10, 2007, the WRAL sports department launched a sports talk radio station, WCMC-FM, which switched from a country music format. It is now the only FM sports talk station in the area and broadcasts in HD Radio.
December 3, 2007: WRAL Streams Live Video to Mobile Phones
On December 3, 2007, WRAL became the first local television station to stream live video to mobile phones.
December 18, 2008: Tom Suiter Retires
On December 18, 2008, long time sports anchor Tom Suiter retired and was replaced by Jeff Gravely.
2008: WRAL Airs Tar Heels' Final Four Appearance
In 2008, WRAL aired one of the North Carolina Tar Heels' Final Four appearances.
2008: WRAL Receives Emmy and Horizon Interactive Awards
In 2008, WRAL and WRAL.com received nine Emmy awards, including the inaugural award in Advanced Media for Interactivity for the video player used throughout the website. The station also won a bronze Horizon Interactive Award for their online hurricane tracker. Geoff Levine won the National Press Photographer of the Year award and the station received 6 awards from the North Carolina Associated Press Broadcasters.
June 12, 2009: WRAL-TV Ends Analog Broadcasts
On June 12, 2009, WRAL-TV ended regular programming on its analog signal, over VHF channel 5, at 12:55 p.m., transitioning to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 48, using virtual channel 5.
2009: WRAL Airs Tar Heels' National Championship Win
In 2009, WRAL aired the North Carolina Tar Heels' national championship win.
2009: WRAL and UNC-TV Co-Produce Gubernatorial Inauguration
In 2009, WRAL and UNC-TV co-produced the Gubernatorial Inauguration.
2010: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Victory
In 2010, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship victories.
April 2011: Coverage of April Tornadoes
In April 2011, WRAL provided extensive coverage of the tornadoes that ripped through the area, which later contributed to several Emmy awards.
September 13, 2012: WRAL Debuts First Mobile Emergency Alert System
On September 13, 2012, WRAL-TV debuted the first Mobile Emergency Alert System (M-EAS) in the United States. The system allows emergency information including text, web pages and video to be distributed to compatible receivers using existing digital television signals.
2012: WRAL Wins Multiple Emmy Awards
In 2012, WRAL received award nominations for news 32 times, tying Nashville station WTVF in the 2012 Mid-South Regional Emmy Awards and won 11. WRAL took home the Emmy for News Excellence, Evening Newscast, Breaking News, Serious Feature News Report, Light Feature News Report, Light Feature News Series, Interactivity, Promo Spot News Same Day, Promo Spot News Image, Graphics Arts, and News Writing.
2015: WRAL Airs Blue Devils' National Championship Victory
In 2015, WRAL aired one of the Duke Blue Devils' national championship victories.
June 29, 2016: WRAL Begins ATSC 3.0 Broadcasting
On June 29, 2016, WRAL became the first U.S. television station to begin broadcasting a full-time service using ATSC 3.0 digital television standards, operating under an experimental license from the FCC on UHF channel 39 as WRAL-EX.
2016: WRAL Airs Super Bowl 50, Stanley Cup Finals, and Summer Olympics
In 2016, WRAL aired Super Bowl 50, the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, making it the only television station in the United States to air all three events from different networks in the same year.
2018: WRAL-EX Leaves the Air
In 2018, WRAL-EX left the air as a consequence of the FCC's repacking process as a result of a spectrum auction and has not returned.
October 31, 2019: New Set Debuts in Studio A
On October 31, 2019, WRAL debuted a new set with the noon newscast in Studio A after upgrading to 4K cameras. The set features a 20-by-11-foot LED video wall and a smaller curved LED wall near the anchor desk.
2019: ACC Football and Basketball Package Ends on WRAL-TV
Despite the NCAA Tournament moving to WNCN, WRAL-TV continued to air ACC football and basketball until the package ended in 2019 in favor of the ACC Network.
September 11, 2020: Capitol Broadcasting Buys WARZ-CD
On September 11, 2020, Capitol Broadcasting bought then-WARZ-CD for $725,000, and since then has used the station, now WNGT-CD, as an ATSC 3.0 multiplex for the region.
2020: Chris Lea Becomes Sports Anchor
In 2020, Chris Lea became the sports anchor at WRAL.
February 3, 2021: Death of WRAL Pilot Steve Wiley
On February 3, 2021, Steve Wiley, who had flown for WRAL since 1987, passed away. He was the pilot for Sky 5 news helicopter.
January 17, 2022: WNCN Moves Y&R to Traditional Timeslot
On January 17, 2022, WNCN moved The Young and the Restless to its traditional 12:30 p.m. timeslot and introduced its own 4 p.m. newscast.
2022: Current Helicopter Operations
As of 2022, the Sky 5 helicopter is flown by two pilots hired and trained by Steve Wiley to take over Sky 5 operations.
2022: David Crabtree Ends Long-Running News Team
In 2022, David Crabtree ended his run as part of the longest-running on-air news team with Debra Morgan.
Mentioned in this timeline
Basketball is a team sport played on a rectangular court...
Oprah Winfrey is an influential American talk show host television...
Fox News Channel FNC is a conservative American news and...
The United States of America is a federal republic located...
CBS Broadcasting Inc CBS is a prominent American commercial broadcast...
NBC News is the news division of NBC operating under...
Trending
31 minutes ago Khanna Defends Democrats, Reminds Bartiromo of Constitution; Lawmaker Confronts Fox Host on ICE.
31 minutes ago JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's Relationship Re-Examined in 'Love Story'
31 minutes ago Shimron Hetmyer: T20 World Cup Six-Hitting Leader, Outshining Farhan in Sixes Race
2 hours ago Charlie Puth, 'American Idol,' and Monmouth County's Pop Culture Connection Highlighted.
2 hours ago Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd's 'Power Ballad' to Open Annapolis Film Festival 2026
2 hours ago Olivia Dean Crowned UK Pop Queen at Brit Awards 2026: Highlights & Winners
Popular
Jesse Jackson is an American civil rights activist politician and...
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is a prominent American politician lawyer...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
Kashyap Pramod Patel is an American lawyer who became the...
Michael Joseph Jackson the King of Pop was a highly...
Barack Obama the th U S President - was the...