WRAL was the first commercial station to provide high definition programming when it obtained an experimental HD transmission license from the FCC in 1996. On October 13, 2000, WRAL aired the world's first all-HD newscast. On January 28, 2001, WRAL converted all of its newsgathering and broadcasts to all digital high definition (the WRAZ newscasts are broadcast in high definition as well). On November 17, 2006, WRAL had a special "reunion" newscast during the 6 p.m. broadcast with Gaddy, Battista and DeBardelaben reprising their roles once again in commemoration of the station's 50th anniversary alongside Suiter. On October 10, 2007, the WRAL sports department launched a sports talk radio station, WCMC-FM (which switched from a country music format); it is now is the only FM sports talk station in the area and broadcasts in HD Radio. WRAL's newscasts are simulcast with local weather inserts on another sister station, WILM-LD in Wilmington.