Cutting Back in Raleigh

Longtime WRAL Anchor David Crabtree has started making the slow walk to retirement at the Raleigh station.

WRAL announced that Crabtree is taking a step back to focus solely on WRAL News at 6, with longtime co-anchor Debra Morgan, while Dan Haggerty, and Chris Lovingood, who are newer to the team, get regular roles.

Crabtree says, "I felt it was time to cut back on some of my anchoring duties, put my energy into the 6 p.m. which I've anchored for almost 28 years, and work on several major projects which are important to me. This also gives our team another opportunity to grow. New eyes, new vision, new talent, new ideas make us better!

"My new schedule is part of the natural order of a long career in broadcast journalism and not a slide into early retirement. Much work remains to be done!"

Haggerty comes to WRAL-TV from KGW/NBC8 in Portland and Lovingood joins WRAL after years as an anchor/reporter at WTAE in Pittsburgh.