When WRAL announced it was switching affiliations from CBS to NBC, it became one of the stations lucky enough to air both a Super Bowl and the Olympics in the same year.
TVSpy asked Steve Hammel, vp and gm of the Raleigh, N.C. station what the two big events meant for the soon-to-be NBC affiliate.
TVSpy: What challenges/opportunities do the two events present the station?
Hammel: With the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, we’re very excited about the opportunity to cover the Panthers in what will have the most eyeballs on our Station. Of course, this will be our first year broadcasting the Super Bowl and the Olympics and we will make certain to make the most of it for our viewers.AdvertisementTVSpy: Are you planning any specials around the two broadcasts?
Hammel: We are planning at least three specials. We’ll air the first two this coming Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. The third will be an hour long postgame show on Sunday night.This will be a very special year for us as we look to cover the local athletes, parents and coaches in Rio. In conjunction with NBC, we’ll air half hour broadcasts,The Olympic Zone, every night of the Olympics at 7:30PM.