Raleigh-Durham station adjusts to the new normal
As a fast-growing urban center not far from the Atlantic coast, the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area has seen its share of natural disasters, including Hurricane Dorian last fall. So it’s not unusual for WRAL-TV, the Capitol Broadcasting Company-owned NBC affiliate to be prepared for the unexpected.
Preparing for the coronavirus pandemic, however, prompted a longer-term technical challenge, though, as news crews, anchors and managers had to quickly arrange for in-home broadcasting as well as keep their employees safe in a situation that sees no immediate end in sight.
“We realized early on that we needed to act quickly and decisively and our primary focus was how we could distance key personnel from the newsroom,” said Leesa Moore, director of news operations and special projects for WRAL-TV. “That was our primary focus.”
Of the 151 employees, managers had to first determine what was the minimum number of staff who could remain at the station and who was able to broadcast from home.