Durham to Host NBC 17 Today Show on May 8

Set the alarm for 4:00AM on Tuesday May 8th. Obviously it's early, but without that wake up you might miss some of the fun.

Fun? At 4:00? AM?

Yes.

Starting at 4:30 AM (the extra half hour is for getting ready) on Tuesday May 8th, viewers tuning in to NBC-17 to see the local Today show, will get an eye full of Durham live from the CCB Plaza Downtown. The public is encouraged to be there. At 4:30.  Really.

Those truly motivated can come on down to the plaza anytime during the broadcast, according to Sam Poley, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We know it will be hard for some folks to get out of bed, so we asked some local businesses to get up with us, too," he said.  


So far, Blue Coffee which is located across the street from the plaza where the taping will occur will open at 4:30 with coffee available until their normal operating hours commence, and Only Burger will have their truck on the scene with their Breakfast Burger and some other offerings targeted to the early riser. DCVB will use their social media channels as other businesses announce their intentions to serve the crowd, too. "Our objective is to make this something of a party," Poley added.


Using Downtown Durham as the backdrop, NBC 17 will broadcast live for their show as well as the breaks during the national broadcast that begins at 7 AM. "Let's just say there are some cool things in the works for this," Poley added.

This program of broadcasting live from places in the viewing area is a chance for the towns to highlight the people, the businesses, the food and the good news that flows out of communities every day. Anchor Phil Sanchez and meteorologist Bill Reh will be in the field as NBC-17 shares the stories that make each community distinct.

The series kicks off Monday May 7th from Fuquay-Varina and will be in Durham the following day. It’s a great chance to fall in love – for the first time or all over again – with some of the places that make living here so remarkable.

“We live in a marvelous place. Taking our show on the road is a wonderful way to highlight the communities in this market,” News Director Andrea Parquet-Taylor said. “And we want to give people a chance to share their stories in fresh, appealing ways.”


This exposure is important for Durham. Downtown is in the midst of a massive revitalization and the use of a location in the heart of it is quite strategic, according to Poley. "NBC-17's broadcast area covers 23 counties all within a travel range that is vital to Durham as a visitor destination.  The potential audience for this is quite significant," he said. 


 "We're excited to work with NBC-17 to bring a glimpse of life in Durham to all those people for a morning - if they see what we've got going on here then we're hoping they'll begin to appreciate that Durham is the place where great things happen. We hope they'll want to pay us a visit and see what all the excitement and buzz are about."