WRAL (Capitol Broadcasting, Raleigh)

U.S. center-left

Background

Capitol Broadcasting Company was founded in 1937 by Raleigh attorney A.J. Fletcher, who established WRAL radio; his son Fred Fletcher and grandson Jim Goodmon later led the company. WRAL-TV launched on December 15, 1956, as one of the early television stations in the Carolinas and has remained under continuous family ownership, making it one of the few multi-generation family-owned broadcast stations in the U.S. From 1960 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 1972, conservative commentator Jesse Helms delivered nightly editorials on WRAL-TV—running up to 10 minutes per broadcast—a period that gave the station a distinctly right-leaning editorial identity it later moved away from. WRAL was a CBS affiliate for about 30 years until 2016, when it switched to NBC following a dispute in which CBS demanded reverse compensation payments for its programming rights. Media Bias/Fact Check rates the outlet left-center on editorial positions and high on factual reliability, citing minimal bias in local reporting but a moderate liberal lean in commentary. Under CEO James Goodmon, Capitol Broadcasting expanded into digital news through WRAL.com and diversified into additional properties including FOX50 (WRAZ-TV), sports radio, and digital marketing services. In April 2026, Capitol Broadcasting named Heather Gray vice president and general manager of WRAL-TV and WRAZ-TV.

Sources

1. WRAL-TV – Wikipedia
2. Capitol Broadcasting Company – Wikipedia
3. WRAL – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
4. WRAL Media Bias – AllSides
5. WRAL drops CBS affiliation as networks put the squeeze on local markets – Poynter
6. Fact-checking President Trump's 2026 State of the Union claims – WRAL
7. CBC History – WRAL-TV Division

Profile compiled 2026-07-19; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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