WRAL anchor Debra Morgan is leaving the Raleigh station. Her last broadcast date
WRAL anchor Debra Morgan, a presence on televisions across central and eastern North Carolina for more than 32 years, is leaving the station.
The departure was announced in a press release by Capitol Broadcasting Co. on Friday, April 18.
“Debra has been a trailblazer in our business and a newsroom leader — and she’s a great human being,” WRAL news director Mike Friedrich told The News & Observer on Friday.
“She has wonderful sensibilities of what people in the Triangle and North Carolina need from a news organization — really having a special touch and caring about viewers, and putting viewers first…The ripple effect of how many journalists she’s been able to touch and teach and mentor, you can’t even calculate it.”
Heather Gray, VP and General Manager at WRAL said in the press release: “Her dedication to storytelling and journalistic integrity have set a high standard, and we are deeply grateful for everything she has given to our station and our community.”
Who is Debra Morgan?
Morgan joined WRAL as an anchor in 1993. Until two years ago, she was co-anchor with Gerald Owens at 5, 6, 7 and 11 p.m., but starting in May 2023, Morgan scaled back her schedule to co-anchor at 5 and 6 p.m. only. Morgan said at the time that the better schedule allowed her more work-life balance: “I’m looking forward to spending evenings with my husband for the first time in our marriage,” she said.
Ashley Rowe, who is currently on maternity leave, took over the 7 and 11 p.m. newscasts at the time.
In her time at WRAL, Morgan has reported from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and from Paris in the aftermath of deadly terrorist attacks in 2015. On her WRAL bio, she lists among her most memorable assignments “doing live reports (soaked in beer!) from Franklin Street when UNC won it all in 1993” and being shot at by the father of one of the suspects in the killing of Michael Jordan’s father while trying to get an interview.
Morgan is a 12-time Emmy Award winner and a multiple winner of the Anchor of the Year award by the NC Association of Broadcasters and RTDNAC. She is a Florida native and graduate of the University of Miami.
Debra Morgan’s last day
Morgan’s last day on the anchor desk will be May 21 at 6 p.m., when the station will air a special tribute.
Friedrich said WRAL will make an announcement about who will replace Morgan at a later date.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM.
