Scott Mason leaves WRAL's Tar Heel Traveler: what we know
Scott Mason, the longtime host of Tar Heel Traveler, confirmed he is no longer employed at WRAL after being reached Friday, Aug. 21. The Raleigh station said it does not comment on personnel matters but that the Tar Heel Traveler franchise will continue, with future plans to be shared soon.
Key Takeaways
- Mason confirmed on Aug. 21 that he is no longer employed at WRAL.
- WRAL news director Mike Friedrich said the station does not comment on personnel matters.
- WRAL said Tar Heel Traveler will continue and future plans will be shared soon.
- Mason joined WRAL in 1997 and debuted his Tar Heel Traveler iteration in 2007.
- He has won three National Edward R. Murrow awards and 20 regional Emmys.
What do we know about Scott Mason leaving WRAL?
According to the News & Observer, Mason confirmed he is no longer employed at the station when reached Friday, Aug. 21. He declined to be interviewed about the departure.
In a Wednesday night Facebook post, Mason quoted Scottish poet Robert Burns—“Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn”—and shared new contact information. As of Friday, the Tar Heel Traveler webpage on WRAL’s site returned a “page not found” message, and some previously shared story links did the same.
Will the Tar Heel Traveler segment continue?
Yes, according to WRAL. News director Mike Friedrich said Tar Heel Traveler “has been a valued franchise for nearly five decades and will continue to be an important part of our storytelling.” He added that the station looks forward to sharing more about the franchise’s future plans with viewers soon.
The segment had aired Mondays through Thursday at 5:55 p.m. on WRAL. Mason told an interviewer earlier this year that several hosts preceded him, including former reporter and anchor Bill Leslie, and that he debuted his iteration of Tar Heel Traveler in 2007.
Who is Scott Mason, and what is his track record?
A Raleigh native, Mason was hired by WRAL as a documentary producer in 1997. His biography credits three National Edward R. Murrow awards and 20 regional Emmys, plus more than 100 journalism awards overall, including two North Carolina TV Reporter of the Year honors.
He has published six books, most recently “Tar Heel Traveler: 201 North Carolina Landmarks and Attractions” in 2024. Earlier this month, he posted that he had started a Tar Heel Traveler video podcast series. Before WRAL, he worked at stations in Richmond, Winston-Salem, Chattanooga, and Dayton, Ohio.
How have viewers responded?
Viewers left supportive comments on Mason’s Facebook post. Laura Torres wrote that he helped her discover wonderful places in North Carolina and hoped for more years of storytelling. Rick Autry said a long-running human-interest feature gives a station personality and community identity, and that removing it can make a newscast feel like every other station.
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