WRAL evening anchor/reporter is leaving the station. Who will replace her?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- WRAL promoted Michelle Mackonochie to evening anchor, starting new role Jan. 5.
- Mackonochie will co-anchor 4 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts.
- She replaces Lena Tillett, who is moving to NBC10 News in Philadelphia.
WRAL has selected a replacement co-anchor for its evening newscasts.
Michelle Mackonochie, who has worked at WRAL since 2021, will move from the morning newscasts to the afternoons and evenings.
The vacant spot was created by anchor/reporter Lena Tillett, who announced Wednesday, Nov. 19 that she was leaving the station for a new job.
Mackonochie’s first day as an evening co-anchor will be Monday, Jan. 5, according to a news release from WRAL.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our viewers in this new role,” Mackonochie said in the news release. “I’ll miss working with our incredible morning team each day, but I’m excited to join the evenings and keep telling the stories that matter to our community.”
Starting in January, Mackonochie will join Dan Haggerty during the 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts, and Gerald Owens during the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts.
“Michelle’s move to evenings is a natural fit,” WRAL news director Mike Friedrich said in a news release. “She is a talented journalist with sharp instincts, strong storytelling skills, and a deep commitment to our viewers and to our communities. She will be a great addition to an already exceptional team.”
Who is Michelle Mackonochie?
Mackonochie has developed a reputation as a “trusted presence” during breaking news coverage through her “composure, accuracy, and connection with viewers,” WRAL said.
Before joining WRAL, Mackonochie — who is from Long Island, New York — worked at WINK News in Fort Myers, Florida, and at 47 ABC in Salisbury, Maryland, according to her WRAL bio. She is a graduate of Ithaca College.
“There’s something truly special about seeing the right person for a role come from within your own newsroom,” Heather Gray, vice president and general manager of WRAL and Fox 50, said in a news release.
Mackonochie is not the first WRAL journalist to fill a different role within the newsroom. Earlier this year, WRAL’s Chris Lovingood was promoted to a co-anchor on the morning news team alongside Renee Chou, after Jeff Hogan left for an evening anchor role at the CBS affiliate in Columbus, Ohio.
Where is Lena Tillett going?
After nine years at the Triangle TV station, Tillett is departing North Carolina for a new role as anchor at NBC10 News in Philadelphia.
Her last day at WRAL is Tuesday, Nov. 25, The News & Observer previously reported.
“I’m thrilled and humbled to join the incredible news team at NBC 10 in Philadelphia,” Tillett wrote in the social media post announcing her new role. “I’ll be an evening anchor in a market I once dreamed of reaching as an anchor. It also puts me closer to family to love on my boys!”
