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WRAL OnLine’s Updated Site Hits The Net |
WRAL OnLine got a spring makeover. The internet site of WRAL-TV relaunched in the wee hours of Wednesday, May 16th, with a new look, a new network and a new partner.
WRAL-TV partnered with Internet Broadcasting Systems (IBS) in November of 2000, in an effort to “capitalize on the IBS network’s success in driving substantial new revenue for local web sites and television stations,” and take advantage of the many additional news resources in the IBS network. In the interim, WRAL OnLine’s new staff worked with IBS to create an updated website to keep current with the changing market.
The look of the new WRAL.com changed dramatically from the old site. WRAL.com is designed for easier navigation and much more information. Weather conditions appear on every page, and Doppler, the most popular feature, is now showcased on the homepage. The site has more consumer technology and health stories, and greater depth to the national stories.
One plus in having IBS manage the site is the network of all of its local stations. IBS also manages websites such as Channel4000.com and Channel2000.com, the Web Channels for WCCO in Minneapolis and KCBS in Los Angeles, and those sites, along with WRAL’s, consistently rank in the top 10 visited local television news websites in the country. These stations can now unite to share stories from their areas. “From San Diego to Miami, there are stations like ours working as hard as we do to cover the area, and their content is our content now. That also gives our staff here more time to focus on our local stories, including a special Fayetteville section with its own unique 5-day forecast,” explained WRAL OnLine Executive Producer Julie Moos.
