New Raleigh City Museum Exhibits Looks at History of Media

WRAL-TV’s history is part of a new exhibit at the Raleigh City Museum.

The Raleigh City Museum is taking a look back in time at the evolution of media in the capital city. The [R]evolution of Media opened to the public on Friday, September 5, 2008, but several guests got a sneak preview at a reception on Wednesday, Sept 3rd..

Several CBC’ers attended the event and got to peruse the exhibit, including many items on loan from WRAL-TV and WRAL-FM. The exhibit includes old radios, televisions, a variety of photographs and much more. DVDs of WRAL classics such as “Uncle Paul Show” and “Cecil & Leonard” are playing in the ensemble as well.

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WRAL-TV’s Phyllis Parish (l to r); WRAL-TV’s Jeff Ritchie & his wife, Carrie: & WRAL-TV’s Bonnie Moore all help the museum celebrate the exhibit opening.

CBC New Media Group Vice President & General Manager Jimmy Goodmon spoke at the opening. His great-grandfather, A.J. Fletcher, started Capitol Broadcasting Company in 1937 by launching WRAL-AM. Goodmon commenting that Fletcher took a huge gamble when he put WRAL-FM on the air in 1946. At the time no one had FM reception, but he lobbied for people to change frequencies by providing pertinent local content that got their attention and made them want to buy what was needed to convert from AM to FM.

Goodmon continued by saying his father, CBC President & CEO Jim Goodmon, did the same thing 50 years later when he jumped in HD broadcasting when there was only one HD receiver in the state. The junior Goodmon quipped that the one belonged to his father. But now everyone is jumping on the HD bandwagon as the entire country will convert in February 2009.

The [R]evolution of Media looks at the history of newspaper, radio and television in Raleigh and how they have affected the city. The exhibit will be only display for the next 18 months.

Video
WRAL-TV’s Scott Mason features the opening of the Raleigh City Museum media exhibit on Tarheel Traveler. Watch here.