WRAL announces new weekday morning anchor. What to know about the change
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- WRAL promoted Lora Lavigne to weekday morning anchor.
- Lavigne joined WRAL in 2020; she moves from weekend anchor.
- Change follows exits of Jeff Hogan and Lena Tillett, and Michelle Mackonochie’s shift.
The weekday morning lineup at WRAL will has a new member to start off 2026.
With Michelle Mackonochie taking her new spot on the weekday evening anchor desk, the Capitol Broadcasting Co.-owned television station has announced that Lora Lavigne has been promoted to weekday morning anchor.
“Journalism begins with people — listening to the community, amplifying local voices and telling the stories that matter most,” Lavigne said in a news release. “Raleigh has shaped me as a journalist, and I’m energized to start this next chapter on the weekday morning anchor desk.”
Lavigne started at WRAL in 2020 and is currently a weekend anchor and multimedia journalist.
In her new role, she will join Renee Chou and Chris Lovingood as co-anchors, along with meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner and Ken Smith.
“Lora’s promotion is a great example of the depth of talent within our newsroom,” Heather Gray, vice president and general manager of WRAL and FOX50, said in a news release. “She’s a strong journalist who will complement a highly accomplished morning team. Lora brings credibility, enthusiasm and authenticity, and we’re excited to see her take on this new role.”
Who is Lora Lavigne?
Lavigne came to WRAL in 2020 after three years at KLFY-TV in Lafayette, Louisiana. A New Orleans native, Lavigne’s work earned a 2019 Louisiana Association of Broadcasters Prestige Award for Best Morning Show and a 2018 Louisiana-Mississippi Associated Press Broadcasters Award for Best News Package, according to the news release.
She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.
“Lora is a dedicated journalist who understands what it takes to earn viewer trust,” news director Mike Friedrich said in a news release. “She elevates our morning newscasts and understands where viewers are these days, from the phone, to the tablet, to the TV. She brings the kind of experience that matters for all of our viewers across WRAL platforms.”
Morning anchor changes at WRAL
Lavigne’s promotion is the latest in a series of changes to the weekday morning lineup.
In August 2025, Jeff Hogan left WRAL for a new role at CBS affiliate WBNS in Columbus, Ohio, and Lovingood replaced him as co-anchor.
Months later, WRAL weekend evening anchor Lena Tillett announced she would be leaving the station to become a weekday evening news anchor at NBC10 in Philadelphia. Mackonochie, then a part of the morning team, was named Tillett’s replacement shortly after.
