WRAL (Raleigh)
U.S. center-left
Background
WRAL-TV launched on December 15, 1956, as a CBS affiliate in Raleigh, North Carolina, founded by Raleigh attorney A.J. Fletcher and his Capitol Broadcasting Company, whose radio roots date to 1938. The station remained in family hands through four generations of the Fletcher-Goodmon family, making it one of the rare independently owned affiliates in a major market — Raleigh is ranked approximately No. 22 in the U.S. Early on, WRAL aired station editorials that were notably conservative in tone. Over time, under CEO Jim Goodmon (A.J. Fletcher's grandson-in-law), the outlet shifted toward a center-left editorial posture, drawing criticism from conservatives while earning recognition for local investigative journalism. WRAL was a technology pioneer, becoming the first station in the world to broadcast an all-high-definition newscast in October 2000. In 2016, the station switched its network affiliation from CBS to NBC. In May 2025, Jimmy Goodmon (Jim's son) was named CEO, continuing the family succession. Coverage of the Trump administration's second term has included skeptical investigative pieces on ICE arrest data, reporting on anti-administration protests, and scrutiny of federal higher-education and immigration policies.
Sources
- WRAL-TV – Wikipedia
- Capitol Broadcasting Company – Wikipedia
- WRAL – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- WRAL-TV Fights to Succeed in a New Media World – The Assembly NC
- Jimmy Goodmon Named CEO of WRAL Parent Company CBC – WRAL.com
- NC ICE arrests double under Trump, fewer convictions – WRAL Investigates
- 'No Kings' protests in the Triangle – WRAL.com
Profile compiled 2026-06-26; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.