2025 WRAL Tower Lighting

>> WELCOME TO THE SIXTY-SEVENTH

ANNUAL WRAL. OUR LIFE AND IT

WILL LIGHT TOWERS AND DURHAM,

ROCKY MOUNT AND RALEIGH.

IT'S SPECIAL GUEST, TIM OF

JAMES. THESE ON IMPORTS.

AND A FEATURED PERFORMER.

TARA WEEK'S GAME.

JOIN OUR WRAL FAMILY IN THIS

TIME HONORED TRADITION. A

CELEBRATION STARTS NOW.

THIS IS A NIGHT WE LOOK FORWARD

TO ALL YEAR. GOOD EVENING AND

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR

THE SIXTY-SEVENTH LIGHTING OF

THE WRAL TV TOWER. I'M GERALD

OWENS AND I'M ASHLEY WROTE, WE

ARE ABSOLUTELY THRILLED TO

SHARE THIS HOLIDAY TRADITION

WITH YOU. WE HAVE A LOT OF LIVE

ENTERTAINMENT IN STORE FOR YOU

TONIGHT. AND WE'RE TAKING THE

CELEBRATION BE ON THE WESTERN

BOULEVARD CAMPUS AND SPREADING

THE EXCITEMENT OF TOWER

LIGHTINGS AND DURHAM AND ROCKY

MOUNT.

>> THERE'S A LARGE CROWDS OF

THE LUCKY STRIKE TOWER IN

DURHAM RIGHT NOW. THE

CELEBRATION ALREADY UNDERWAY

THERE. AND THAT'S WHERE WE FIND

WRAL'S DAN HAGGERTY ONSTAGE AND

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE THERE

AND YOU ARE READY TO KICK

THINGS OFF.

>> WELCOME TO A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT

IN THE CITY OF DURHAM. I'M

JOINED BY WILLIE BOWL AND THE

ONE AND ONLY SANTA CLAUS IS

EVERYBODY READY? I FEEL LIKE

THIS TO OUR LIVE ON WRAL.

ALL RIGHT. WE'LL START THE

COUNTDOWN AT 10.

>> AND

>> LET'S HOLD SWAY WITH SOME

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC FROM COURSE.

TAKE IT AWAY.

>> ALL RIGHT. THAT'LL GET YOU

IN THE MOOD. WE'RE ALSO

CELEBRATING TONIGHT IN ROCKY

MOUNT. OH, YES, I'VE LOVED

COVERING THE EVENTS AT ROCKY

MOUNT MILLS OVER THE LAST

COUPLE OF YEARS. THIS YEAR.

WREL'S KAT CAMPBELL GOT THAT

GREAT ASSIGNMENT, A CAT THIS

YEAR. THE TOWER LIGHTING IS

EXTRA SPECIAL.

>> IT IS EXTRA SPECIAL BECAUSE

WE'RE NOT JUST LIGHTING ONE

TOWER. WE ARE LIGHTING TO OUT

HERE AT ROCKY MOUNT MILLS.

OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT THE BIG

TOWER BEHIND ME BEING LEFT FOR

THE 8TH YEAR IN

A ROW. AND WE HAVE A WHOLE

CROWD OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT

HERE AND READY TO GO AT

CELEBRATE. WE'VE GOT BEAUTIFUL

MUSIC FROM CHANDLER. JAMES,

YOU'LL HEAR FROM HIM COMING

UP IN JUST A LITTLE BIT.

BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE

LIGHTING UP THE SILO BEHIND US

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE GOT

SEEMED HOT CHOCOLATE, SANTA

CLAUS, MISSUS, CLAUS AND THE

GRINCH ARE OUT HERE. WE'RE

GONNA HAVE ALL OF THAT COMING

UP IN OUR TOWER LIGHTING LIVE

IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES HERE ON

WRAL FROM ROCKY

MOUNT MILLS.

>> AND WHAT A TREAT THAT

EVERYBODY ALSO GETS TO HANG OUT

WITH JAZZY AS WELL. PROBABLY

THE BEST DRESSED THERE. THANKS.

WE'RE GOING CHECK IN WITH YOU

IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. COLOR

COORDINATED WITH CAT. OF THE

BUILDING HERE AT THE CROWD IS

BUILDING AT THE WRAL STUDIOS.

THIS EVENT IS ALWAYS A BELOVED

TRADITION IN THIS COMMUNITY.

BEFORE WE INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR

FEATURED PERFORMER, LET'S LOOK

BACK AT THE SPECIAL FROM 2016

THE YOUNG LADY ON THE RIGHT IS

TARA CLINKSCALES PERFORMING

WITH THE CAPITAL INVESTORS AND

NOW SHE'S ALL GROWN UP AND BACK

WITH US AS OUR FEATURED

PERFORMER ALONG WITH LISA BLAIR

HAWKINS, TAKE IT AWAY, GUYS.

>> MOVES.

>> NOW ALL US WILL

>> I

>> WE

>> WE STOP

>> I

>> MUCH BETTER THAN THAT.

NO INCREDIBLE. NO DOUBT YOU'RE

GOING TO BE SUCH A HUGE STAR AS

YOU HEAD TO BROADWAY AFTER THE

HOLIDAYS AND AS WELL, OF

COURSE, THANKS TO LISA BLAIR

HAWKINS ACCOMPANYING YOU ON THE

PIANO. YOU WE CAN'T WAIT TO

HEAR MORE FROM YOU THROUGHOUT

THE SHOW. THIS IS THE 67TH

ANNUAL TOWER LIGHTING. AND THAT

IS A LONG HISTORY. IT'S SO

IMPORTANT TO US.

>> TO OUR OWNERSHIP AND

MANAGEMENT AT CAPITOL

BROADCASTING TO KEEP THE

TRADITION GOING CAPITAL

BROADCASTING FOUNDER USED TO

READ A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE

U.S. WE'VE BEEN SO MANY

DIFFERENT, AMAZING PEOPLE JOIN

US OVER THE YEARS. THIS IS MY

23RD TOWER LINE. I CAN TELL YOU

EACH YEAR HAS BEEN SPECIAL IN

ITS OWN WAY. I KNOW TONIGHT

WILL BE AS WELL.

>> MICHELLE MACKONOCHIE, HE'S

MCCONNELL. HE IS JOINING US NOW

IN THE EVENING ANCHOR TEAM.

YEAH, THANK YOU, GUYS. I

MISSION IS GOING TO BE LEARNING

TO SPELL YOUR LAST SAY AND

SPELL. I'M SO EXCITED TO JOIN

YOU GUYS. I IF THERE'S ONE

THING THAT I'M LEARNING RIGHT

NOW, I NEED SOME TAR HEELS.

WHAT IS GOING ON AND IT'S ALL

GOOD. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING

FORWARD TO MOST WORKING WITH

YOU GUYS? I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE

AMAZING. AND SOMETIMES I SEE ON

THE MORNING SHIFT RIGHT NOW AND

SOMETIMES I SEE YOU GUYS IN

THE MORNING AND IT'S JUST GOING

TO BE SO GOOD TO SPEND MORE

TIME.

>> WHEN YOU GUYS WERE HAPPY

TO HAVE YOU, MICHELLE, THANK

YOU IS REALLY YES. WE ARE SO

HAPPY THAT YOU'RE JOINING THE

EVENING TEAM. I KNOW YOU'RE

GONNA MISS THE MORNING NEWS.

I AM LEE. YES, BUT YES. BUT

INSTEAD WITH THE FAMILY, I

THINK THEY KNOW THE PIANO AND

I'LL SEE THE SAME EXACT GO TO

BRIAN SHRADER. HE'S IN THE

CROWD WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE

MICHELLE JOINING US ON THE

EVENING TEAM. HAVING WORKED

WITH HER FOR MANY YEARS IN THE

MORNING, ITS GOING TO BE A GOOD

TIME AND WE GOT OUR FRIENDS

OUT HERE.

>> AND THE WRAL PLAZA ON

WESTERN BOULEVARD AND READY

TO LIGHT THIS TOWER BRIDGE AT

TONIGHT. THE NAMES AS THEIR

FROM EAGLE, NORTH CAROLINA WANT

TO RAISE. GREW UP WATCHING US

ON TV AS A LITTLE KID. SO I

FIGURED I A LITTLE LIES IS

REACHED INTO TONIGHT. BUT

SHAWNA FORDE IN SOMEWHERE.

WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE

AND GLAD EVERYBODY IS HERE

TONIGHT.

>> STAY WITH US. WE'RE GOING

TO GET READY TO LIKE THIS TOWER

COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES.

BUT FIRST, WE WANT TO TAKE IT A

ROCKY MOUNT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING

TO LIKE THOSE 2 TOWERS AT ROCKY

MOUNT MILLS AS WRAL'S 67TH

ANNUAL TOWER LIGHTING CONTINUES

EASY AND MORE AFFORDABLE.

>> ALL

>> RIGHT. THE WAIT IS OVER IN

ROCKY MOUNT. YES, IT'S TIME TO

FLIP THE SWITCH AT ROCKY MOUNT

MILLS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE FIND

WRAL'S. KAT CAMPBELL JOINING US

LIVE CAT. TAKE IT AWAY.

>> WE ARE SO EXCITED. WE HAVE

QUITE THE CROWD OUT HERE AT

ROCKY MOUNT MILLS TO CELEBRATE

LIGHTING, NOT ONE BUT 2 TOWERS

THIS YEAR AT ROCKY MOUNT MILLS

AND TO CELEBRATE. WE'VE BROUGHT

IN LOCAL MUSICIAN CHANDLER

JAMES. HE IS INCREDIBLE.

SO I'M GONNA LET HIM DO THE

HONORS. AND WE HAVE SOME

SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE

BACKGROUND.

>> WE MANGER KNOW THE

>> BEGAN THE ICING AND THE SKY

>> AND JESUS A SLEEVE ON THE

AND

>> DOWN FROM

AND STAY THE BACK OF MY BRAIN

DUE TO ALL THE AND

>> A KEY IN A MANGER HERE AND

>> WE CAN

>> THE TO THE SLEEVE ON THE

THING YOU KNOW, THE SNOWY LONG,

>> AND THAT CAN WE GET A ROUND

OF APPLAUSE FOR CHANDLER.

I HAVE AN INCREDIBLE VOICE.

YOU GOT STARTED RIGHT HERE IN

NORTH CAROLINA WHERE TO GROW

UP THAT.

>> NASHVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA ON

THE RICH.

>> NASHVILLE, WE LOVE TO HEAR.

IS THAT YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS

SONG? CHANDLER?

>> SCHUMER.

>> A FAIR ENOUGH. NOW WHAT YOU

GUYS MAY NOT KNOW AT HOME,

WE'VE BEEN PRACTICING THE TOWER

LIGHTING. CHANDLER'S GOT THE

BUTTON. BUT BEFORE WE GET TO

ACTUALLY LIGHTING BOTH OF THE

TOWERS, WE HAVE TO BRING IN

THESE FRIENDLY FACES AROUND

US, COME OUT AND COME IN A

LITTLE CLOSER. WE HAVE SOME

WONDERFUL KIDS FROM THE CROWD

THAT ARE HERE TO HELP US LIGHT

THE TOWERS TONIGHT. YOU MAY

HAVE SEEN THEM DOING A LITTLE

BIT OF DANCING IN THE

BACKGROUND. THANK YOU FOR

HELPING THE OUR BACKUP DANCERS.

YOU GUYS WERE REALLY GOOD.

CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE

PART OF TONIGHT?

WELL, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT TO

HAPPEN, RIGHT WHEN WE LIKE

THAT. OUR WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU LIKE

THE THE SNOW WE HAVE OUT HERE?

WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL SNOW OUT

HERE.

YEAH. YOU LIKE IT, OK? CAN I

GET THE LAW? AND I'VE GOT THE

ONE. THE MAGICAL WAND.

CHANDLER'S GOT THE BUTTON.

ARE YOU GUYS READY TO LIGHT

BOTH HOURS HERE AT ROCKY MOUNT

MILLS?

IS THE TIME. HELP ME WITH THE

COUNTDOWN.

THERE WE GO. CHANDLER, WE MUST

MESSED IT UP. WE PRACTICE LIKE

10 TIMES MAKING SURE THAT WE

THAT WE COULD GET THE BUTTON

TO WORK. I TAUGHT AND LEARNED

LAST TIME.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT

I'VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO HAVE

THE BUTTON. BUT WE'RE WORKING

ON IT WILL GET THAT LIVE FOR

YOU SOON. AT LEAST WE ALL WAIT,

WAIT, WE'VE GOT THE OTHER TOWER

LIT. THERE WE GO. THIS SILO

IS IT?

>> ALL RIGHT. LET ME TRY TO

PRESS THE BUTTON.

WE'LL WORK ON THAT ONE FOR YOU

GUYS. WE'LL SEND IT BACK TO

RALEIGH AND WE'LL GET WE'LL GET

THAT WORD OUT HERE.

>> HEY, NO PROBLEM. CLARK

GRISWOLD THIS EMPATHIZES

WITH YOU HARD TO PUT THAT TO

THE SILO. LOOKS AMAZING.

IT WAS IT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A

WHOLE PLACE ALL DECKED OUT.

IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO BE.

WE WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO

HAS HELPED MAKE. THIS IS SUCH A

WONDERFUL EVENT. I MEAN, IT

LOOKS ABSOLUTELY SO FESTIVE OUT

HERE. SO BEAUTIFUL AND

EVERYBODY WHO HAS COME ON DOWN

TO THE WRAL STUDIOS AS WELL.

LET'S TURN IT BACK OVER TO OUR

SPECIAL GUEST, ERIC LAKE SCALES

FOR ANOTHER SONG.

>> S-LINE KNOW KHOMEINI.

>> AND MY MOM SPENT AROUND

LAWSUIT ARE ONLY

>> TENNIS CITY RIGHT AWAY.

SO WE TRY AND STAY.

>> IT SAW.

>> TURNER CLINKSCALES, MY

GOODNESS, GIRL. YOU ARE

TALENTED. WOW. WOW. WOW.

WOW. YOU ARE AMAZING AND YOU

ARE OFF TO BROADWAY IN THE NEW

YEAR. NOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE

PERFORMING IN CATS. ARE I HAVE

TO KNUCKLE BALL O K S? YOU KNOW

THAT VIDEO WE SHOWED EARLIER

2016, YOU WERE YOUNGER. I WAS

FORTUNATE TO BE THE HOST OF

THAT EVENT AS I HAVE FOR MANY

YEARS. A NEW YEAR, A TALENTED

MAN. YOU ARE. YOU ARE DOING

SOMETHING. I'M SO EXCITED FOR

YOU. I'M VERY EXCITED TO GO

BACK TO NEW YORK TO BE IN

REHEARSAL, OPEN A BROADWAY SHOW

FOR THE FIRST TIME. I'M I'M

SUPER PUMPED AND I'M SO

BLESSED. LOOKING FOR YOUR NAME

IN LIGHTS. YES, PLEASE. WHERE

HAWKINS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YOU'VE GOT GREAT TO LIVE HERE.

YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS. I GOT TO

ASK YOU ANY HOLIDAY TRADITIONS.

>> HOLIDAY TRADITIONS, I'M

PROBABLY WATCH A CHRISTMAS

STORY AND HOME ALONE ONE IN

MY TIME BECAUSE IT'S ON LIKE

FOR 3 DAYS TO KNOW. I PROBABLY

WATCH ME LIKE EVERY DAY, YOU

KNOW, THE 12 DAYS OF YOUR HOME

LOAN EVERY DAY. HOW MANY TIMES

DOES YOUR FAMILY ASK YOU TO

SING SILENT NIGHT OR ANOTHER

CLASHING LIKE YOU SO I DON'T

SEEM LIKE DURING CHRISTMAS, ALL

JUST LIKE LYING IN THE SHOWER

WHAT YOU DO. AND YEAH, I WAS

OF ALL SING IT THIS CHRISTMAS.

WE ARE ROOTING FOR YOU EVERY

STEP OF THE WAY. YOU'RE

ABSOLUTELY THOUGHT THIS AND

WE'RE GOING HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN

LATER ON.

>> ALL RIGHT. A BIG NIGHT HERE

ON NBC AS WELL. ROCKET THAT

CHRISTMAS IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER

IS GOING TO FOLLOW THIS

BROADCAST.

>> WHEN WE WRAP UP HERE, STAY

TUNED FOR CHRISTMAS IN

ROCKEFELLER CENTER, AN NBC

SPECIAL AS ONE OF NEW YORK

CITY'S LARGEST TREES IS LIVE

FOR THE HOLIDAY. IT AIRS AFTER

TONIGHT. TOWER LIGHTING SPECIAL

AND REBA MCENTIRE IS HOSTING

THIS YEAR. BRIAN, LET'S SEND IT

OVER TO YOU.

>> THE WRAL PLAZA WITH ALL OF

OUR FRIENDS. ARE WE READY TO

LIGHT THE WRAL TV TOWER ON

WEST?

ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT THAT?

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD

TO?

THAT TOWER LIGHTING WHERE YOU

GET YOUR DREAMS ARE ABOUT TO

COME TRUE. ARE YOU EXCITED

ABOUT THIS? YEAH, YEAH. WE'RE

ALL EXCITED ABOUT IT. WE TAKE

YOU LIVE PICTURES RIGHT NOW

BECAUSE WRAL SKY 5 IS ABOVE

THE ACTION. AND YOU ARE JUST

A FEW MINUTES AWAY FROM THE

67TH ANNUAL WRAL TV TOWER

LIGHTING. STAY WITH US.