Close Window
WRAL-TV Reaches Out To Latin Americans In The Community

A large group assembled to celebrate the partnership between WRAL-TV and LARC which will enable Spanish translation WRAL's news.		 WRAL-TV and the Latin American Resource Center (LARC) joined forces announce a new venture. Within a few weeks, WRAL-TV and LARC will launch a Spanish translation of WRAL's 6:00pm Monday - Friday newscasts. Volunteers from LARC will be doing the interpreting live from the studio, and WRAL will simulcast the signal along with its regular news broadcast.

LARC is working to dispel stereotypes.
The reception attendees were treated to a light buffet.

The two groups held a reception to celebrate the synergy and the 10th anniversary of LARC. In Studio A at the station on Thursday, April 26, at 5:30pm, the reception hosted a plethora of local and state officials, LARC and WRAL-TV staff, and community members.

WRAL-TV Station Manager Jim Griffin explained the process of offering the news in Spanish saying, "It's quite a formidable task." Volunteers from LARC come in at 3:00pm and get a copy of the English script, and then translate it to Spanish in the hectic newsroom environment. They must learn the language of news and adjust to the mechanics of newscasting, with which they are unfamiliar. After transcribing the scripts, then the volunteers step into a sound booth and hear the WRAL announcers live and translate in real time in Spanish, all this while keeping up with the picture and the sound. LARC's Executive Director Aura Comacho Maas added that it takes 30-40% more time to say the same thing in Spanish, "So it's a challenge."
WRAL-TV Station Manager Jim Griffin

LARC Executive Director Aura Camacho Maas

A large group of people are committed to the project's success.
WRAL staffer's celebrated the impending launch of SAP.


Several proponents of this outreach program spoke at the reception. Maas said, "Today is really a great day…for LARC this is a major breakthrough." Secretary of State Elaine Marshall added, "When we can't communicate with a large part of a our community, they are without power." And Superintendent of the NC Department of Public Instruction Mike Ward commended the initiative saying, "Thanks for the effort that will make the world a little smaller and the community a little larger."

WRAL-TV Community Affairs Director Loretta Harper and Director of Special Projects John Harris are piloting the Spanish translation effort at the station and are largely responsible for the program's existence. Maas and lead interpreter Christina Streubel stepped in to make the project a reality.


Secretary of State Elaine Marshall

DPI Superintendent Mike Ward


WRAL-TV's Loretta Harper (left) & Maas are key players in the SAP effort.
Congressman Bob Etheridge (right) attended the event.

Formerly WRAL made history by simulcasting the mini-series "Jesus" in Spanish, as well as the Latin Grammys. The SAP capability at WRAL will mean the station can simulcast any programs CBS offers with SAP. The network will soon offer daytime soap "The Bold and The Beautiful" in SAP.