Fred Fletcher Dies at 89
Story from the Associated Press: January 10, 200

RALEIGH, Jan. 10 – Fred Fletcher, a leading Raleigh broadcaster and passionate advocate of improving the city’s parks system, has died at age 89. Fletcher died Saturday of prostate cancer.

The Apex-born Fletcher started out in radio and was president and general manager of Capitol Broadcasting. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Fred became manager in 1939 of WRAL radio, which was owned by his father. Fletcher’s father later obtained the franchise for what would become WRAL-TV.

Fletcher moved up the ladder of the station’s parent company, Capitol Broadcasting. By 1966 he was named Capitol Broadcasting’s president and general manager. He retired in 1975. Fletcher was first appointed to Raleigh’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in 1946. Fifty years later, he was recognized by the National Recreation and Park Association as one of the nation’s outstanding citizen-board members.