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WRAL (FM)

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Coordinates:35°40′35.1″N78°32′7.2″W/ 35.676417°N 78.535333°W/35.676417; -78.535333
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WRAL
Broadcast area
Frequency101.5MHz(HD Radio)
BrandingMix 101.5
Programming
FormatAdult contemporary
Subchannels
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
WCLY,WCMC-FM,WDNC,WRAL-TV,WRAZ,WNGT-CD
History
First air date
September 6, 1946;78 years ago(1946-09-06)[1]
Former call signs
WRAL-FM (1946–1974)
Former frequencies
95.3 MHz (1946–1947)
Call signmeaning
Raleigh
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID73920
ClassC
ERP
  • 98,000watts(analog)
  • 4,000 watts (digital)
HAAT606 meters (1,988 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°40′35.1″N78°32′7.2″W/ 35.676417°N 78.535333°W/35.676417; -78.535333
Translator(s)
  • HD2:95.7W239CK (Raleigh)
  • HD3:96.5W243DK (Durham)
  • HD3:99.3W257CS (Morrisville)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Listen Live (HD2)
Listen Live (HD3)
Websitewww.wralfm.com
www.thatstation.net(HD2)

WRAL(101.5FM,"Mix 101.5" ) is acommercialradio stationlicensedtoRaleigh, North Carolina,and serving theResearch Triangle.It is owned by theCapitol Broadcasting Companyand broadcasts anadult contemporaryradio format,switching toChristmas musicfor part of November and December. Capitol Broadcasting also ownsNBCnetwork affiliateWRAL-TV,FoxaffiliateWRAZ-TV,and theDurham Bullsminor-league baseball team, along with several other radio stations. WRAL carries the audio of theSix O'Clock Newsbroadcast fromsister stationWRAL-TV. During tornado warnings, WRAL-FM also simulcasts WRAL-TV's audio of their tornado coverage.

WRAL has aneffective radiated power(ERP) of 98,000watts,close to the current maximum for U.S. radio stations. Itsbroadcast toweris southeast of Raleigh inGarnerat (35°40′35.1″N78°32′7.2″W/ 35.676417°N 78.535333°W/35.676417; -78.535333).[3]WRAL broadcasts usingHD Radiotechnology.[4]Anadult album alternativeformat branded as "That Station" is on its HD2digital subchannel.The HD3 subchannel carries anall-newsformat known as "WRAL News+".

History

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Easy listening and Jesse Helms

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Aconstruction permitauthorizing the station was initially given thecall signWCOY. It changed to WRAL-FM before itsigned onfor the first time on September 6, 1946, on 95.3 with anERPof 1,000 watts.[1]It was the second FM station to operate in North Carolina afterChristian radiostationWMIT,and the first to operate on the new 88–108 MHz FM band (FM stations had previously used the 42–50 MHz band.).[5]WRAL-FM was a sister station to WRAL 1240 AM (nowWPJL).[6]WRAL-AM-FM were owned by A.J. Fletcher's Capitol Broadcasting, which added a TV station in 1956,WRAL-TVchannel 5.[7]The studios were located at 130 Salisbury Street, with the transmitter on Davie Street Extension.

Beginning in the 1960s, WRAL-FM offered its own programming, ending thesimulcastwith its AM sister station. It playedeasy listeningmusic and provided extensive agricultural reports. Together withWCECinRocky MountandWGBRinGoldsboro,WRAL-FM helped establish a statewide radio network named theTobacco Radio Network,which connected communities throughout North Carolina. It became the precursor to today'sNorth Carolina News Network,originally based at the WRAL studios (and sold to Curtis Media Group in 2009). WRAL-FM moved to 101.5 MHz in 1947.[6]It concurrently increased its ERP to 54,000 watts.[8]

Jesse Helmsbecame the news director of the radio stations in 1948, adding TV duties when channel 5 signed on. From 1960 until his election to theU.S. Senatein 1972, the station offered the audio portion of commentaries by Helms which aired as the "Viewpoint" segment on WRAL-TV.[9]The station increased its ERP to 250,000 watts in 1963, which wasgrandfatheredone year later after the FCC imposed new tower height and power restrictions. That made WRAL-FM an FM "superpower station."[8]Only a handful of stations in the U.S. had power of a quarter-million watts or more.

Adult contemporary

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WRAL-FM switched its format toadult contemporary musicin the early 1970s, branding itself as "WRAL-Stereo 101" and later "WRAL-FM 101.5." The format continues to this day, though at one point the station leaned towardHot AC.[6]The "-FM" suffix was dropped from the call sign on October 1, 1974.[8]Famous Bob Inskeep (FBI) started as morning host in 1975. The show included news and information as well as the puppet Zoot, mailman Mr. Snailspace and tax consultant H.R. Blockhead.[10]

A new, taller tower was built in 1977 nearAuburn,with an ERP of 100,000 Watts. On December 10, 1989, an early morning winter ice storm caused the tower it shared with WRAL-TV nearAuburn, North Carolina,to collapse, along with a separate tower for WPTF-TV (nowWRDC). The station moved its transmission signal to WPTF's former tower nearApexuntil a new tower was built at the same site the following year. With the new tower, the station had an effective radiated power of 96,000 watts to conform to FCC standards, since its antenna was situated farther up the tower than before.[6]Even with the power reduction, the station still has one of the largest coverage areas of any station in North Carolina. It provides at least secondary coverage as far west asAsheboro,as far east asGreenville,as far south asElizabethtownand as far north as theVirginia-North Carolina border.[11]

HD Radio

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On December 20, 2002, the station became the first licensed commercial radio station on theEast Coastto broadcast usingHD Radiotechnology. WRAL-HD1 simulcast the analog signal, while WRAL-HD2 offered a moremodern-leaningplaylist.On Monday, June 27, 2005, WRAL became the first commercial station in North Carolina[12]and only the second commercial station in the nation (WUSNinChicagowas the first[6]) to utilize the "multicasting" capabilities of HD Radio technology to broadcast multiple digital channels.[12]

On April 23, 2007, WRAL-FM became the flagship station for theNC State Wolfpack,beginning with the 2007–2008 school year.[13]The broadcast rights to football and basketball games belong to Wolfpack Sports Properties, which is jointly owned by Capitol Broadcasting and Learfield Sports.[14][15]The weekly coaches' shows withDave DoerenandKevin Keattsair separately on sister stationWCMC-FM.

Delilah and Rick Dees

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WRAL-FM was the second station in Raleigh to air thenationally syndicatedDelilahnighttime radio show, which it carried from November 2007 until October 2009.WRSN( "Sunny 93.9" ) had carried the program before that station flipped to Rhythmic AC as "93.9 Kiss FM".

On August 22, 2009, WRAL-FM started to air theRick DeesWeekly Top 30 Countdownshow on Saturdays from 7–10 a.m.[16]It also replaced the Delilah program with theJohn Tesh Radio Showbeginning October 5, 2009. Both Dees and Tesh are veterans to Triangle radio, having worked atWKIXin the early 1970s,[17]along with formerWRAL-TVmorning and noon anchorBill Leslie.

On March 5, 2013, morningdrive timepersonality Bill Jordan announced his retirement after 23 years with the station.[18]

On April 2, 2013, WRAL-HD2 changed formats toContemporary Christian music,an expansion of the "Cornerstone" program normally heard on Sunday mornings on the main channel from 7 to noon.[19]"Cornerstone" has been hosted by Jami Caskey since it first aired in 1984, and is the station's longest-running program. When the main channel switches to all-Christmas music after Thanksgiving, HD2 airs the adult contemporary format heard during the rest of the year. However, as of 2023, Christmas music on WRAL-FM was restricted to a few select weekends and their normal format ran with some Christmas songs mixed in during the weekdays. WRAL-FM's website offered a 24/7 stream of their Christmas music, and the station would eventually go all-Christmas at 5pm on December 8.[20]

Morning show changes

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On July 28, 2014, "The Gene and Julie Show" began airing in morning drive time, with husband and wife Gene and Julie Gates.[21]In 2015, the couple won theMarconi Awardfor Large Market Personality of the Year. Even with the bump in ratings, Gene & Julie eventually parted ways with WRAL-FM on August 15, 2016.[22]The following week, WRAL-FM debuted a new morning show called "Two Men & A Mom". The hosts were Kyle Smelser and Bryan Lord, who came fromWNOW-FMin Indianapolis, along with Raleigh native Sarah King, who worked atWKNCwhile a student at N.C. State.[23]However, the show has since been renamed "Mix Mornings with Kyle, Bryan, and Sarah".

In March 2022, the HD2 channel flipped from contemporary Christian to an adult album alternative format and began a simulcast of sister stationWCLY,also known as "95.7 That Station".[24]

On August 2, 2022, WRAL-HD3, W243DK, and W257CS flipped fromsports"The Buzz" (which moved toWDNCand WCLY while remaining on WCMC-FM HD2) toall-newsas "WRAL News+", airing newscasts fromWRAL-TV.The stations remain as the radio home ofDurham Bullsbaseball.[25]

Translators

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WRAL simulcasts its HD subchannel programing on the following translators:

Broadcast translatorfor WRAL-HD2
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP(W) Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
W239CK 95.7 FM Raleigh, North Carolina 157691 250 D 35°42′50.6″N78°49′3″W/ 35.714056°N 78.81750°W/35.714056; -78.81750(W239CK) LMS
Broadcast translatorsfor WRAL-HD3
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP(W) Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info Notes
W243DK 96.5 FM Durham, North Carolina 87684 250 D 36°3′33.5″N78°57′10″W/ 36.059306°N 78.95278°W/36.059306; -78.95278(W243DK) LMS Until August 2, 2022, W243DK simulcast WCMC-FM HD2 assports"The Buzz".
W257CS 99.3 FM Morrisville, North Carolina 156990 250 D 35°47′13.7″N78°43′36.9″W/ 35.787139°N 78.726917°W/35.787139; -78.726917(W257CS) LMS Until August 2, 2022, W257CS simulcast WCMC-FM HD2 as sports "The Buzz".

References

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  1. ^ab"Ceremonies Mark Debut Of WRAL-FM Raleigh"(PDF).Broadcasting-Telecasting.September 9, 1946.RetrievedMarch 22,2018.
  2. ^"Facility Technical Data for WRAL".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ^"FM Query Results for WRAL".fcc.gov.Federal Communications Commission.RetrievedJuly 4,2017.
  4. ^"HD Radio station guide for Raleigh–Durham, NC".Archived fromthe originalon October 9, 2014.RetrievedJuly 1,2017.
  5. ^Frost, Gary (2010).Early FM Radio: Incremental Technology in Twentieth-Century America.Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 134.ISBN9780801894404.
  6. ^abcde"Raleigh-Durham FM Dial".Archived fromthe originalon February 1, 2003.RetrievedMay 5,2010.
  7. ^"Raleigh-Durham AM Dial".Archived fromthe originalon October 15, 2002.RetrievedMay 5,2010.
  8. ^abc"WRAL history cards"(PDF).CDBS Public Access.Federal Communications Commission.RetrievedMarch 22,2018.
  9. ^"Events - WRAL-TV" Viewpoint "Editorials".Archived fromthe originalon May 16, 2008.
  10. ^Leonard, Teresa (August 17, 2016)."Morning men woke up the Triangle".News & Observer.
  11. ^"WRAL-FM Radio Station Coverage Map".radio-locator.com.
  12. ^ab"HD Radio".WRAL-FM.Archived fromthe originalon October 12, 2007.RetrievedNovember 24,2007.
  13. ^Chip Alexander, "Pack, WPTF Part Ways: Wolfpack Moves Football and Men's Basketball from Longtime AM Partner to FM Station,The News & Observer,April 26, 2007.
  14. ^"Wolfpack Sports Properties | Capitol Broadcasting Company".www.cbc-raleigh.com.RetrievedApril 23,2008.
  15. ^"NC State Wolfpack".
  16. ^"MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM the Best MIX While You Work".Archived fromthe originalon August 24, 2009.RetrievedAugust 29,2009.
  17. ^"The Jeff Smith collection".reelradio.com.RetrievedMay 5,2010.
  18. ^"Mix 101.5's Bill Jordan announces retirement".WRAL.com. March 5, 2013.RetrievedMarch 5,2013.
  19. ^"BIG NEWS!! Like, REALLY BIG!".Archived fromthe originalon July 31, 2013.RetrievedApril 15,2013.
  20. ^"Christmas on Mix!".Archived fromthe originalon December 7, 2023.
  21. ^"Husband, wife team to take over Mix mornings".WRAL-FM.July 7, 2014.
  22. ^"WRAL (Mix 101.5)/Raleigh's Gene & Julie Morning Show Exits".AllAccess.com. August 15, 2016.RetrievedAugust 15,2016.
  23. ^"Mix 101.5 Raleigh Debuts Two Men & A Mom In Mornings".RadioInsight.com. August 22, 2016.RetrievedAugust 22,2016.
  24. ^"95.7 FM That Station Now Available On HD Radio".capitolbroadcasting.com.Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. March 22, 2022.RetrievedJuly 26,2022.
  25. ^"Buzz Moves In Raleigh".RadioInsight.RetrievedAugust 4,2022.
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