Instead of airing the Late Show with Stephen Colbert after the Super Bowl, Raleigh, N.C., CBS affiliate WRAL is airing an hour of its own post-game, to cover the home team. But the station tells TVSpy it has nothing to do with the fact that WRAL won’t be a CBS affiliate in a few weeks.
In an effort to hang on to Carolina Panther fans, the Capitol Broadcasting-owned station is pushing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after its late local news, which is expanding to an hour tonight.
“We are airing the local special because this is a HUGE story for our area–we cover huge stories in a big way,” WRAL GM Steve Hammel told TVSpy. “That’s our tradition.”
CBS announced the airing of Colbert to much fanfare in November saying it will be the first time a late night talk show will immediately follow a Super Bowl.
WRAL is becoming an NBC affiliate on Feb. 29, while current NBC affiliate WNCN will be the new CBS affiliate for Raleigh/Durham.