The WRAL studio building was complete circa 1957-58. The auditorium for the National Opera Company was added in 1969. The expansion in 2000 is home to WRAL news with offices for programming, creative services, accounting, and FOX50. The original structures remain in place, but have been repurposed through the years. To date, we have not heard of any ghost stories.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll hunt down areas of the building where you can still detect glimpses of the past.
BACK IN THE DAY (1984)
Control Room 3 (production editing control room)
Standing (L-R) WRAL news photographer Art Howard and station manager Neil Kuvin.
Seated (L-R) WRAL news anchor Charlie Gaddy and programming producer Kevin Duffus.
They were reviewing video of the coverage of the 400th anniversary of the Roanoke Voyages from Plymouth, England.
Note two of the three SONY one-inch format videotape machines in the background.
CURRENT PICTURE
The glass door, wall and track lighting are the only items hinting to the room’s former life as a control room. Now the area serves as offices for WRAL.com. John Conway’s office is on the left.
BACK IN THEY DAY (1982)
Control Room 2 was primarily used for newscasts or any live event.
(L-R) Connie Lane, news producer, Tammy Martin (barely visible) audio, Pam Parris-Allen, director, Celia Hartnet, news production assistant. The #1 newscast in the nation in 1984 emanated from this control room.
Next door to the control room was the office of GM John Greene. Before that, it was Jim Goodmon’s office, and prior to Goodmon, the office belonged to Jesse Helms.
Years later the equipment was reoriented against the wall on the left. The control room continued to provide production in SD until 2011. The current HD control room went into use on Super Bowl Sunday 2001.
CURRENT PICTURE
Well, the room looks more like a flea market.
Studio A can be seen through the windows.
Thanks to Corp’s Pam Allen for this capcom story. Pam Parris Allen is a former WRAL newscast producer/director who now works as a researcher and producer on the CBC History Project.
