WRAL (FM)

WRAL-FM signed on for the first time September 6, 1946 at 95.3, with an ERP of 1,000 watts.[1] It was the second FM station to operate in North Carolina, and the first to operate on the new 88–108 MHz FM band (FM stations had previously used the 42–50 MHz band[4]). It was a sister station to WRAL radio (AM 1240, now WPJL),[5] which was sold off in the 1950s.[6] The studios were located at 130 Salisbury Street, with the transmitter on Davie Street Extension.

WRAL-FM offered its own programming, rather than simulcast a sister AM station, in the form of easy listening music and extensive agricultural reports. Together with WCEC in Rocky Mount and WGBR in Goldsboro, WRAL helped establish a statewide radio network named the Tobacco Radio Network, which connected communities throughout North Carolina. It became the precursor to today's North Carolina News Network, originally based at the WRAL studios (and sold to Curtis Media Group in 2009). WRAL would move to 101.5[5] in 1947; it concurrently increased its ERP to 54,000 watts.[7]

In 1948, Jesse Helms became the news director. From 1960 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 1972, the station offered the audio portion of commentaries by Helms which aired as the "Viewpoint" segment on WRAL-TV.[8] The station increased its ERP to 250,000 watts in 1963.[7]

WRAL-FM switched its format to adult contemporary in 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 hot adult contemporary.[5] The "-FM" suffix was dropped from the call sign on October 1, 1974.[7] 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.[9]

On December 10, 1989, an early morning winter ice storm caused the tower it shared with WRAL-TV near Auburn, North Carolina, along with a separate tower for WPTF-TV (now WRDC) to collapse. The station moved its transmission signal to WPTF's former tower near Apex until a new tower was built at the same site the following year. Its effective radiated power was dropped to 96,000 watts to conform to FCC standards since its antenna was situated farther up the tower than before.[5] 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 as Asheboro, as far east as Greenville and as far south as Elizabethtown.[10]

On December 20, 2002, the station became the first licensed commercial radio station on the east coast to broadcast using HD Radio. WRAL-HD1 simulcast the analog signal, while WRAL-HD2 offered a more modern-leaning playlist. On Monday, June 27, 2005, WRAL became the first commercial station in North Carolina[11] and only the second commercial station in the nation (WUSN in Chicago was the first[5]) to utilize the "multicasting" capabilities of HD Radio technology to broadcast multiple digital channels.[11]

On April 23, 2007, WRAL-FM became the flagship station for the NC State Wolfpack, beginning with the 2007–2008 school year.[12][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 with Dave Doeren and Kevin Keatts air separately on sister station WCMC-FM.

WRAL-FM was the second station in Raleigh to air the nationally syndicated Delilah nighttime 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 the Rick Dees Weekly Top 30 Countdown show on Saturdays at 7 am – 10 am.[16] It also replaced the Delilah program with the John Tesh Radio Show beginning October 5, 2009. Both Dees and Tesh are veterans to Triangle radio, having both worked at WKIX back in the early 1970s,[17] along with former WRAL-TV morning and noon anchor Bill Leslie.

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

On April 2, 2013, WRAL-HD2 changed formats to Contemporary Christian music, an expansion of the "Cornerstone" program normally heard on Sunday mornings on the main channel from 7 am 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.

On July 28, 2014, "The Gene and Julie Show" began airing, with husband and wife Gene and Julie Gates.[20] In 2015, the couple won the Marconi Award for Large Market Personality of the Year. Even with the bump in ratings, Gene & Julie eventually parted ways with WRAL-FM on August 15, 2016.[21] 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 from WNOW-FM in Indianapolis, along with Raleigh native Sarah King, who worked at WKNC while a student at N.C. State.[22]

WRAL is one of the few major Triangle stations that is owned by North Carolina interests, giving it less of a "corporate" feel than its competition. It has an advantage over other Triangle stations in terms of public affairs and community involvement. WRAL-FM promotes a number of events throughout the Triangle area that are sponsored by Capitol Broadcasting and its entities.

In April, 2009, the National Association of Broadcasters awarded WRAL its prestigious Crystal Award for community service. The honor, the station’s second in eight years, was given for involvement in many local causes including:

• The Annual Radiothon for Duke Children’s Hospital, through which Mix listeners raised over $1 million in 2008 and over $10 million throughout the event’s history.

• Collecting more than 7000 pounds of food for the Raleigh Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s Back Pack Buddies program.

• Ongoing support of the United States Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots toy drives.

• Providing free ID cards for Wake County school children.

• Sponsorship of Interact Wake County, the American Cancer Society, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Heart Association, the Tammy Lynn Center and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and others.

• Official website
• WRAL-FM history on RDU Radio Waves

• WRAL in the FCC's FM station database
• WRAL on Radio-Locator
• WRAL in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• FCC History Cards for WRAL