WRAL-TV signed on in December 1956, as an NBC affiliate, taking the affiliation rights to the network away from WTVD (VHF channel 11). A.J. Fletcher’s Capitol Broadcasting Company, which first licensed WRAL radio (AM 1240, now WPJL) in 1938, won the channel 5 license in an upset over the much larger Durham Life Insurance Company, then-owners of radio station WPTF.
1959–1964[]
Starting in 1962, WRAL became an ABC affiliate. WRAL would also be a secondary NBC affiliate with WTVD until 1968, when WRDU-TV (UHF channel 28, currently a MyNetworkTV affiliate) signed on and took on NBC full-time.
1964–1968[]
1968–1984[]
1968–1972[]
SVG NEEDED
1972–1976[]
SVG NEEDED
1976–1984[]
SVG NEEDED
"Now It's the Time, TV-5 is the Place!" (1981)
"The One & Only TV-5" (1981)
"That Special Feeling! on TV-5" (1984)
1984–1993[]
SVG NEEDED
In March 1985, Capital Cities announced the purchase of ABC; which also included WTVD, which was owned by Capital Cities. With that, on August 4, 1985, WTVD and WRAL swapped affiliations. WTVD returned to ABC while CBS moved to WRAL for another 30 years until 2016. The logo is sort of similar to the previous logo in design.
This logo was introduced in 1993 when WRAL was recieving a makeover for that season. In 2016, WRAL-TV returned to NBC for the second time with CBS programming moving to WNCN. This was due to WRAL and CBS parting ways and signed a deal immediately with WNCN's parent company Media General to affiliate with channel 17.
HD logo during its experimental phase on July 23, 1996, the station's (and world's) first HD newscast was made 4 years later
WRAL Digital logo (late 1990s)
First variant of the logo used from 1993-1998
WRAL News logo (2002–present)
Website logo
Logo reflecting WRAL's returning affiliation with NBC, which took effect on February 29, 2016
Station ID reflecting WRAL's returning affiliation with NBC