The stations share studios at Capitol Broadcasting headquarters on Western Boulevard in Raleigh; WRAZ's transmitter is located near Auburn, North Carolina.

WRAZ, originally owned by Tar Heel Broadcasting but programmed by WRAL-TV from its first day on air, offered The WB as well as syndicated shows and a WRAL-produced 10 p.m. newscast.

Coinciding with the switch, Capitol Broadcasting moved operations of WRAZ from Raleigh to an office building it owned in Durham to give the station a separate identity.

In the 2000s, WRAZ gained a reputation for preempting Fox programming it found contrary to family values, including such reality shows as Temptation Island and Married by America.

In March 1985, five applicants were placed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) into comparative hearing to determine which one would receive a construction permit to build channel 50 in Raleigh.

Fred Barber and Brown had broadcasting connections; the former was the general manager of WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh after previously serving in that post at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, and the latter was director of personnel for Gannett's television stations.

The board overturned the initial decision and granted channel 50 to Cotton, finding that administrative law judge James Tierney had made a mistake in not accounting for his divestiture pledge.

Tar Heel entered into a local marketing agreement (LMA) with the Capitol Broadcasting Company, owner of WRAL-TV, which provided its transmitter tower, programming, and facilities to operate the new station.

[7] The owners did some public service programming independent from WRAL; in 1998, WRAZ began airing the Carolina Broadcasting System–produced NC Spin, a weekly political roundtable.

[20] After Capitol pulled Married by America from the WRAZ lineup, it eventually earned FCC plaudits as 169 other Fox affiliates were fined for airing an episode featuring strippers.

[22] In 2009, the station delayed the series premiere of Osbournes: Reloaded from its prime time slot to 11:35 p.m. and substituted episodes of Andy Griffith and Seinfeld.

As with the rest of the station after the affiliation switch of 1998, Capitol decided to separate WRAZ's news presentation and talent from that of WRAL-TV, though it continued to come from the WRAL studios, to better match the Fox network's imaging and serve a different audience.