WRAL, the NBC affiliate in Raleigh, N.C., is adding new newscasts and teams.
The WRAL News at 7 p.m. will be a 30-minute show anchored by Gerald Owens and Debra Morgan.
At 4 p.m., a new anchor team will take over. Lena Tillet and Kathryn Brown will host the show, along with meteorologist Kat Campbell.
“I’m thrilled to join Kathryn Brown and Kat Campbell, two people for whom I have much respect,” said Tillett of the new assignment. “I look forward to the tremendous opportunity reaching viewers at a new time slot to serve our community.”
Tillet, who joined the station in 2016, has helped launch a number of programs for the station, including the 9 a.m. show on sister station Fox 50.
As for the 7 p.m. show, it’s a new addition since the coronavirus outbreak. The station says there has been a demand in extra coverage so the 30-minute show, which was set to be a temporary addition at first, will now become a permanent fixture in the daily lineup.
“The response from viewers for additional news content at 7 p.m. has been very strong,” said Joel Davis, vice president and general manager. “It became clear that not only was 7 p.m. a more convenient time for many viewers, but there was also an appetite for longer-form storytelling and interviews.”
In May, the show was No. 1 in the adults 25-54 demo in that time period.