Jul
01
Holliday and Calloway Exit WRAL
Friday was the last day for two veterans at WRAL. After 28 years with the station, Bob Holliday, a sports reporter and weekend anchor accepted a voluntary buyout offer. After eight years at WRAL, Volanda Calloway saw her last day at the station, too.
11 Comments
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July 1st, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I like Yolanda a lot. I like Holliday but to be honest, Wral needs to revamp their sports team as they really were having a hard time relating to other sports outside of college basketball. The trianlge has to many new people to lead every story off with UNC basketball. (Sorry Dana, I may have hit a nerve there) This is an area where NBC17 has taken hold and driving viewership. I watch NBC17 a lot more now.
Still Knb-nutz #1 is the lead sports guy now on WRAL now that Jamburger left and I sometimes wonder if he knows what a Power Play is. OK, this is only my humble opinion.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:09 pm
No nerve hit at all. However whenever a local team that regularly packs in thousands is on the verge of winning a championship, it seems appropriate for that story to lead.
I’d like to see them involve Trip or John in their playoff analysis, though.
Jeff is definitely a baseball and local lover, but he’s a good guy. Their position is probably that ESPN basically owns the national stories, so they will gain viewership by focusing on locals. I do get tired of hearing the same voices for sports news, and don’t miss Tom Suiter.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:13 am
I think NBC17’s sports department is down to 2 people. On some weekend broadcasts they don’t even have a sports person doing sports. I’ve seen both the news anchor and Peter, the weekend weather guy, reading the sports. I like Penn Holderness because he understands that sports are entertainment, but still prefer WRAL’s coverage.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:49 am
When Lynda Loveland left, Valonda Calloway should have been allowed to stay as co-anchor in the morning. I stopped watching after that even though the traffic report is better than the other two morning news shows.
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:55 am
I’ve liked Bob Holliday since he was on WCHL radio in the 70s. Doesn’t he have a son who is also a broadcaster? I think I saw him on TV recently.
They need to get Woody Durham’s son together with Bob’s (if my observation above is true). The new Tarheel broadcasting team.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I too stopped watching WRAL news. Valonda Calloway is a very good reporter.
It seems that everytime Lynda Loveland makes a change it affects another reporter. Interesting! Who will bite the dust if she decides to leave Mix 101.5
September 29th, 2009 at 3:35 am
Where is Valonda Calloway? I hope she has a position somewhere on a TV station because she definitely has talent and personality which draw viewers. The cutbacks everywhere are over-reations, I believe. I am a retired educator, and am thankful that I didn’t need to fear being dismissed!
Just my thoughts, and feeling disappointed for Volana,
Anne
October 16th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Volanda Callaway was great. I miss her. She was as pretty to view and just as good an anchor as Lynda Loveland. Lynda too was great. I think it is a shame to have dismissed Volando; especially with a new little one added to the household. Hope to see her return.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Hay I just got so upset when I didn’t see Volanda Calloway of the wral new.When I srated looking on the enternet I found out that she had left the news. I miss here alot, I enjoy her so much. Volanda take care and know that I miss you.
June 8th, 2010 at 11:44 am
I looked all over for Valonda and throught maybe she’d gone to the afternoon news. I saw her do a live report one day and wondered why she’d made that change. Then poof! She was gone. I loved watching her in the morning. She was a class act adn her smile was infectious. I remeber when she had her baby, I couldn’t wait for her to return from maternity leave! Removing her from the morning news was a big let down. I used to turn on my tv at 6 and watch the local news followed by the early show when I got up. Now I turn my tv on sometime around 6:50 people when I do, I usually see Bill & Lynda doing their MIX 101-5 bit and then the early show comes on. On the days I do watch more of it, it’s not the same. Losing Mark Roberts, Lynda Loveland and Valonda Calloway was a HUGE loss for WRAL. It was a very big mistake.
June 26th, 2010 at 7:24 am
saw valonda this am on wxii channel 12. i’d seen her from time to time when visiting the triangle area. i hope it’s not just a quick stop for her here.