Producing the WRAL Tower Lighting is my favorite assignment every year. Every year, its amazing how many people from various departments come together for this project.
WRAL-TV News Producer Kelly Riner
WRAL-TV's Kelly Riner is festively decked and ready to produce the 2020 WRAL-TV, American Tobacco & Rocky Mount Mills Tower Lighting (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
WRAL-TV supersized the tower lighting for 2020, combining the lighting celebrations from American Tobaccos Lucky Strike Tower, the Rocky Mount Mills Water Tower and the WRAL-TV Tower into one, live half-hour special. Because of the pandemic, in-person events could not take place, so CBC found a way to bring all three tower lightings to everyone in the Triangle.
WRAL-TV News Producer Kelly Riner did not let the changes for 2020 get her down. She still decked out in her festive best and produced the special which aired live on Tuesday, December 1.
Producing the WRAL Tower Lighting is my favorite assignment every year, she said. Every year, its amazing how many people from various departments come together for this project.
Riner was thrilled that WRAL-TV expanded their usual scope this year to include Rocky Mount Mills and the American Tobacco Campus in the special.
Capcom talked to Riner about how WRAL tackled the unique challenges to producing an expanded tower lighting special during the time of COVID:
The excitement leading up to the event was incredible, especially considering the unique challenges the pandemic brings for all us professionally and personally. Safety was our number one priority as we set out to continue this special WRAL tradition.
Our meetings were all virtual. We staged everything with a broad footprint to allow for maximum social distancing. We encouraged viewers to stay at home. A couple of our performances were pre-recorded to keep the artists and our crews safe. Staff who regularly work from home and in the field came in to help with guests, so those of us inside the building had no potential exposures. We used a different phone line so field producers didnt have to borrow headsets. Really, everything was taken into consideration.
Each department head and manager made sure everything looked great and we were all safe. It was much appreciated.
Behind the scenes at the 2020 WRAL-TV, American Tobacco & Rocky Mount Mills Tower Lighting (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
One thing about the tower lighting special did not change this year. Riner did not hold back on donning her more festive apparel.
If anyone saw me on Tower Lighting day, I was dressed in Christmas light-themed attire from head to toe, literally, she said. It was a bit silly and quite a sight but I hope, just like the special, that it brought some cheer during an otherwise sad and scary time.
She has collected fun outfit pieces over the years, and several close to her pitched in new pieces this year, including a holiday facemask.
My accessories were all gifts from co-workers and friends who know just how much joy and enthusiasm I have for the Tower Lighting production and for this gift WRAL gives to the community each year!! said Riner.
WRAL viewers can see the WRAL-TV tower, American Tobaccos Lucky Strike Tower and the water tower at Rocky Mount Mills aglow every night now through the new year. Those lights are something that will go on despite COVID.
Im looking forward to next year when we can all be closer together, high five, and hug, said Riner. Until then, if you see anything with holiday lights, consider adding it to your wardrobe this season. I guarantee, just like the beautiful Capitol Broadcasting towers do, you, too, can spread a little hope and cheer.
Thanks to WRAL-TVs Kelly Riner for these capcom photos.
WRAL-TVs Kelly Riner is festively decked and ready to produce the 2020 WRAL-TV, American Tobacco & Rocky Mount Mills Tower Lighting (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
Behind the scenes at the 2020 WRAL-TV, American Tobacco & Rocky Mount Mills Tower Lighting (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
Behind the scenes at the 2020 WRAL-TV, American Tobacco & Rocky Mount Mills Tower Lighting (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
The 2020 WRAL-TV, American Tobacco & Rocky Mount Mills Tower Lighting (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
The 2020 Rocky Mount Mills Tower Lighting (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
The 2020 WRAL-TV Tower Lighting (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
The festive dream team: WRAL-TVs Kelly Riner & WRAL-TVs Jeremy Spearman. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Riner)
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Deepens Partnership with Taiwan's 62nd Golden Hors...
25/11/2025
Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, an investigative journalist from Kenya is the winner of the Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist Award 2025.
The 26-year-old-sele...
25/11/2025
SVG All-Stars: Blayke Scheer, Senior Director, Creative Content, YES NetworkThe Indiana alum has turned storytelling into an artform for more than two decadesBy...
25/11/2025
Op-Ed: With FCC's C-Band Auction on the Horizon, Broadcasters Need Proven, C...
25/11/2025
Analysis: Is Baller League really the future of sport? By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
With KSI on...
25/11/2025
Platinum Whitepaper: The Growth of Broadcast in the World of Major Large Scale E...
25/11/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: SVG Women's Sports WorkshopBy Samantha Gabay
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 10:27 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
25/11/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: CacheFly's Matt Levine on the Evolving Role of th...
25/11/2025
Peacock's EA SPORTS Madden NFL Cast Levels Up on Thanksgiving With SkyCam as...
25/11/2025
Mathias Broe attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Sauna at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Fes...
25/11/2025
The best playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks bring a little extra magic to your daily routine. With new features and offerings, Spotify Premium delivers even mo...
25/11/2025
Comprehensive new research confirms what we already knew: Australian music fans love the quality, quantity, and access they have to new and local music on strea...
25/11/2025
Applicable Products
Objectives The purpose of this application note is to give a brief background on 5G (NR) wireless communication an explain the reason a SN...
25/11/2025
Nielsen will now measure both Lionsgate's FAST channel MovieSphere and Movie...
Producing the WRAL Tower Lighting is my favorite assignment every year. Every year, its amazing how many people from various departments come together for this project. 
