WRAL-FM

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WRAL-FM "Mix 101.5"is an Adult Contemporary radio station based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Its studios are located in downtown Raleigh along with WCMC-FM, a country music station that signed on in October 2005. Both stations are owned and operated by Capitol Broadcasting Company, which also owns WRAL-TV, FOX 50, and the Durham Bulls minor-league baseball team, among other properties. Its transmitter is located near Garner, North Carolina.

Contents 1 History 2 Competition and Community 3 Alive After Five 4 Programming 5 External links

[edit] History

WRAL-FM signed on in 1946 as one of the first FM stations to operate in North Carolina. Instead of rebroadcasting from a partner AM station, it offered its own programming in the form of easy listening music and extensive agricultural reports. During the 1960s, the station offered the audio portion of commentaries done by future North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms. WRAL-FM switched is musical offerings to AC in the early 1970s, which continues to this day. (WRAL-FM 's one time AM sister station which was at 1240, was sold off in the 70s )

In 2004, WRAL-FM became the first station in the United States to broadcast its signal in High Definition Radio. WRAL-HD1 replicates the same music found on Mix 101.5 (mainstream AC), while WRAL-HD2 offers a more modern-leaning playlist.

[edit] Competition and Community

While a number of other stations have attempted to replicate WRAL's success, only Clear Channel's Sunny 93.9 and G105 have been fiercely competitive in terms of ratings and music selection. However, WRAL's local ownership gives it a leg up in terms of public affairs and community involvement, giving it less of a "corporate" feel than its competition. One such project the station has been involved with is a radiothon lasting 101.5 hours straight (usually from a Wednesday morning to mid-day Sunday) designed to benefit the Children's Hospital at Duke University Medical Center. WRAL-FM also promotes a number of events throughout the Triangle area that are sponsored by Capitol Broadcasting and its entities.

[edit] Alive After Five

In addition, the station has been promoting an outdoor concert series in downtown Raleigh since 1978 called "Alive After Five", which features mostly local and regional bands. Up until last year, the concerts usually took place at the south end of the Fayetteville Street Mall near the Raleigh Civic and Convention Center. Because of all the construction work taking place in that area, the concert series has been moved to the heart of the trendy Glenwood South district, located just west of downtown. In 2004, a separate AAF series was held in Durham at the American Tobacco complex near the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, only to be discontinued after a year.

[edit] Programming

Monday-Friday

• 6:00-10:00am -- "Bill & Sheri in the Morning"

    Bill Jordan - co-host
    Sheri Logan - co-host
    Wayne Michaels - producer
    Vanna Fox - traffic reports
    David Crabtree (from WRAL-TV) - news

• 10:00am-3:00pm -- Diane Ramsey

    Noon-1pm - "All 80s Lunch"

• 3:00-6:00pm -- Jim Kelly
• 6:00-6:30pm -- Simulcast of WRAL-TV News
• 6:30pm-Midnight -- Ray Thomas

Saturday

• 6:00-10:00am - Best of "Bill & Sheri"
• 10:00am-8:00pm - Mike Coates and Jen Scott
• 8:00pm-11:00pm - "Absolutely 80s" with Nina Blackwood

Sunday

• 8:00am-Noon - "Cornerstone" with Jami Caskey (Comtemporary Christian music program)
• Noon-Midnight - "All 70s Sunday" with Mike Coates and Jen Scott

Station Personnel

• Program Director: Jim Kelly (interim)
• General Manager: Ardie Gregory

[edit] External links

• Mix 101.5 website
• WRAL-FM history on RDU Radio Waves