WATCH: 61st annual WRAL Tower Lighting celebration

WELCOME TO THE 61st ANNUAL 61st

ANNUAL TOWER LIGHTING JOIN US

AT A SPECIAL GUEST BRITTON

BUCHANAN FROM THE BOYS CALVIN

LOCKETT FROM THE BOYSEN UMC'S A

CAPPELLA GROUP AS WE COME DOWN

TO THE BIG MOMENT.

OUR CELEBRATION STARTS NOW.

>> JINGLE ALL THE WAY.

[ SINGING ]

>> ALL RIGHT. I THINK YOU, GOOD

EVENING, EVERYBODY THANK YOU,

FOR JOINING US FOR THE 61st

ANNUAL TOWER LIGHTING SOON

OVER 300 FOOT TOWER BEHIND US

WILL BE TRANSFORMED IT STARTS

NOW BUT IT WON'T BE THAT WAY

FOR LONG THANK YOU, FOR JOINING

US I'M DEBORAH MORGAN.

>> I AM GERALD OWENS . IT WILL

BE AN INCREDIBLE EVENING YOU

CAN SEE SKY 5 IS LIVE ABOVE WE

HAVE A PARTY GOING ON WE ARE

READY FOR THIS COUNTDOWN.

WE WILL LIKE TO AREAS TALLEST

TREE IN LESS THAN 20 MINUTES.

LET'S DO IT OVER TO KATHRYN

BROWN .

>> I AM HERE WITH BRITTON THANK

YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.

>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW

MUCH COLDER IT IS HERE THAN IT

IS IN LA QUITE A REALITY CHECK

FOR YOU.

>> WE HAVE LOVED WATCHING YOU

ON THE VOICE WE HAVE FOLLOWED

YOUR SUCCESS.

HAVE A NEW SINGLE COMING OUT.

>> IT'S COMING OUT IN EARLY

JANUARY.

>> WHAT MEANS THE MOST TO YOU

ABOUT THIS SINGLE?

>> IS ABOUT HOME.

IT IS ABOUT LEAVING AND IT'S

THE FIRST THING OUT SINCE THE

MOST THE VOICE ENDED.

>> I KNOW IT COMES FROM THE

HEART WE ARE EXCITED TO HEAR

IT.

WE WILL HEAR THAT IN JANUARY.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS

MUSIC TAKEN AWAY.

>> .

[ SINGING ] YOU BETTER WATCH OUT

YOU BETTER NOT CRY YOU BETTER

NOT POUT UNTIL NEW Y, SENT TO

CLASS IS COMING TO TOWN.

SANTA IS COMING TO TOWN CENTER

IS COMING TO TOWN SANTA CLAUS

IS COMING TO TOWN.

HE'S MAKING A LIST CHECKING IT

TWICE AND IT IS GOING TO FIND

OUT WHO IS NOT DAY AND NIGHT.

SANTA CLAUSE IS COMING TO TOWN.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.

SEE YOU WHEN YOU ARE SLEEPING

HE KNOWS WHEN YOU ARE AWAKE.

HE KNOWS IF YOU HAVE BEEN BAD

OR GOOD.

YOU BETTER BE GOOD, FOR

GOODNESS SAKE.

YOU BETTER BE GOOD, FOR

GOODNESS SAKE.

IT YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, YOU

BETTER NOT CRY.

YOU BETTER NOT POUT, I AM

TELLING YOU WHY.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN,

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN.

>> ALL RIGHT.

BRITTON BUCHANAN. THANK YOU,

THAT SOUNDED GREAT.

>> THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.

THE CROWD HERE GOES WILD. A FEW

PEOPLE HAVE TURNED OUT.

WE WILL HEAR MORE FROM BRITTON

COMING UP, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST

POWER LIGHTING DATES BACK TO

THE 1950s. IT WAS THE VISION OF

AJ FLETCHER THE MAN WHO PUT

WRAL ON THE AIR . IN THE EARLY

DAYS THE FOUNDER READ A

CHRISTMAS CAROL TO VIEWERS IN

WHEN WE FLIPPED THE SWITCH

TONIGHT THAT TOWER WILL BE HIGH

ABOVE RALEIGH EVERY NIGHT UNTIL

NEW YEAR'S DAY.

IT'S A TRADITION.

>> YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED IT IS

SNOWING HERE, ONLY WRAL TODAY .

WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE SNOW ON

THE PLAZA. WE ARE ABLE TO ENJOY

SNOW. IT BRINGS EVERYTHING

FULL-CIRCLE.

>> IS SO FESTIVE HERE.

HERE AT WRAL WE LOOK FORWARD

TO LIGHTING THE TART WE ARE

ALSO LOOKING AHEAD TO ANOTHER

BIG EVENT COMING UP.

IT IS COATS FOR CHILDREN

CAMPAIGN THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN

NEED A WARM WINTER COAT.

THAT'S WHY FOR MORE THAN 30

YEARS, WRAL HAS MADE IT A

PRIORITY TO SUPPORT FAMILIES.

ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER THIRD THINK

WE WILL HOST OUR COATS FOR

CHILDREN TELETHON WE WILL HAVE

SPECIALS AT ONE P.M.

AND SEVEN P.M.

JOIN US TO DONATE TEXT THE WORD

COATS 241444.

GO TO WRAL.COM INSERTS COATS.

KATHY, BACK TO YOU.

>> HERE WITH CALVIN LOCKETT OF

THE VOICE WE ARE SO GLAD YOU

CAN BE WITH US ALONG WITH YOUR

GUITARIST, NEMO THANKS FOR

JOINING US.

YOU LIVE IN DURHAM FRESH OFF A

RUNOFF THE VOICE.

WE ARE SO GLAD TO SEE A

HOMETOWN GUY MAKING GOOD BEFORE

YOU SAYING WE WANT TO LET

PEOPLE KNOW YOU HAVE A SHOW

COMING UP.

THIS IS IN DURHAM ON THE 14th.

THIS IS AT EIGHT P.M.

TO YOU CAN BUY TICKETS ONLINE

BY GOING TO YOUR WEBSITE OR BY

THE MATADOR.

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO WATCH YOU

AS YOU GROW IN YOUR SUCCESS.

NOW WE WANT TO HEAR YOU SO

TAKEN AWAY, GUYS.

>> THANKS.

>> .

[ SINGING ]

OH, SING, CHOIRS OF ANGELS SING

IN EXULTATION OH, COME, OH COME

YE TO O COME, LET US ADORE HIM

O COME, LET US ADORE HIM O

COME, LET US ADORE HIM CHRIST

THE LORD

>> THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL. WE ARE

GETTING IN THE MOOD.

>> WE ARE GETTING READY TO FIRE

UP THE TOWER. I

IT IS WINDING DOWN AS WE GET

CLOSER TO FLIPPING THE SWITCH

ON NEARLY 3000 BRIGHTLY COLORED

LIGHT RED

>> IT WON'T BE LONG NOW AS WE

SHOW YOU LIVE FROM 55 WE ARE

MUCH MORE TO COME. YOU ARE

LOOKING AT THE LEFT PICTURE OF

THE WRAL PLAZA IT'S A BUSY

PLACE.

HAD WE HAVE UP FOR

PERFORMANCE.

WE W

WELCOME BACK TO OUR TOWER

LIGHTING.

FROM ALL OF US ON THE MORNING

NEWS ENJOY THE COUNTDOWN.

HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY.

>> I GOT WELCOME BACK, TO THE

51st ANNUAL TOWER LIGHTING WE

ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN HERE IT

IS VERY FESTIVE.

I'M HERE WITH CALVIN LOCKETT IN

THE HOME STRETCH UNTIL WE LIKE

THE TOWER JUST A FEW MORE

MINUTES.

AS WE DO THAT BEFORE WE DO

THAT, WE WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER

SONG FROM CALVIN A CHRISTMAS

SONG.

>>

[ SINGING ]

AND EV'RY MOTHER'S CHILD IS

GONNA SPY TO SEE IF REINDEER

REALLY KNOW HOW TO FLY SO I'M

OFFERING THIS SIMPLE PHRASE TO

KIDS FROM ONE TO NINETY-TWO

ALTHOUGH' IT'S BEEN SAID MANY

TIMES, MANY WAYS "MERRY

CHRISTMAS TO YOU" MARY

CHRISTMAS MARY CHRISTMAS TO YOU.

THAT IS MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS

SONG.

IT IS SO FESTIVE THIS IS GREAT.

>> THE COUNTDOWN TO THIS MOMENT

WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT TOWER

WILL TURN ON AS PLANNED.

THANKS TO OUR ANNUAL BULL

INSPECTOR THAT INCLUDES TESTING

EACH ONE OF THE NEARLY 3000

LIGHTS THAT COVER OUR TOWER.

>> HEY GUYS, WE ARE HERE WITH

THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED

HARMONICS FROM UMC WE ARE SO

EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU GUYS

TONIGHT.

THEY WILL TAKE US TO OUR FINAL

FEW MINUTES AS WE COUNTDOWN FOR

THE BIG LIGHTING.

TAKE IT AWAY.

>> [ SINGING ]

>>

PLEASE HAVE SNOW AND MISTLETOE

AND PRESENTS ON THE TREE

CHRISTMAS EVE WILL FIND ME

WHERE THE LOVE LIGHT GLEAMS

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS IF

ONLY IN MY DREAMS

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS YOU

CAN PLAN ON ME

PLEASE HAVE SNOW AND MISTLETOE

AND PRESENTS ON THE TREE

CHRISTMAS EVE'LL FIND ME WHERE

THE LOVE LIGHT GLEAMS I'LL BE

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS

IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS

>> BEAUTIFUL.

FROM UNC DOING SUCH A GREAT

JOB.

YOU WERE TALKING TO PEOPLE

HERE, THEY ARE FROM ALL OVER.

ROCKY MOUNTAINS, SELMA MAKING

OUR WAY JUST TO BE WITH US WE

SO APPRECIATE THAT.

>> WE JUST LOVE IT.

>>

HE IS DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION.

>> THE WHOLE FAMILY.

HOW ARE YOU DOING IT IS GOOD TO

SEE YOU?

>> WRAL HAS ALL THE LIGHTS

TURNED ON OTHER GROUNDS AND NOW

IT IS TIME TO LIGHT THE TOWER.

ARE YOU ALREADY?

WE ARE GOING TO COUNT DOWN.

LET'S START WITH DAN, 10, NINE,

EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, OR,

THREE, TWO, ONE, LIKE THE

TOWER.

>> [ APPLAUSE ]. ALL RIGHT MARY

CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE THAT'S WE

ADMIRED THE TOWER BRITTON

BUCHANAN IS ANOTHER SIGN.

>> [ SINGING ]

>>

WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE AS WE

LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL WRAL

TOWER SO BEAUTIFUL . YOU ARE

LOOKING AT THIS LIVE

>> FROM SKY 5 . THIS IS YOUR

FIRST EVENT OUT HERE, RIGHT?

KATHY, THIS IS YOUR FIRST

LIGHTING.

>> IT'S INCREDIBLE WATCHING IT

ON TV BUT TO SEE IT, THE

FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE, IT IS

GREAT.

>> IS ON IT, I KNOW?

>> CAPITOL BROADCASTING IS

HOSTING TWO MORE I HOPE YOU CAN

JOIN US ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER

SIXTH. THE AMERICAN TOBACCO

CAMPUS WHEN WE LIGHT THE LUCKY

STRIKE TOWER.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN MILLS SATURDAY,

DECEMBER'S THAT VENT THE

FESTIVITIES BEGIN AT 530 P.M.

>> THANK YOU, SO MUCH FOR

JOINING US FOR THE ANNUAL TOWER

LIGHTING FOR THE 61st TIME WE

WILL LEAVE YOU TONIGHT WITH

HARMONICS WITH ONE MORE SONG,

FROM ALL OF US AT WRAL, MARY

CHRISTMAS .

>> HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY.

>> [ SINGING ]

>>

>>

THAT'S WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO

ME MY LOVE I FEEL LIKE RUNNING

WILD FILL THE DREAMS WITH ANGEL

HAIR PRETTY, PRETTY LIGHTS GO

TO SLEEP AND WAKE UP JUST

BEFORE DAYLIGHT ALL THESE

THINGS AND MORE OH THAT'S WHAT

CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME MY LOVE

THAT'S WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO

ME MY LOVE (OH BABY BABY) YEAH