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Station Tours

An NBC17 studio tour is the first step in getting behind the scenes to see how a television station works. We are proud to offer this program as part of our community efforts. A few things you should know before arranging a tour of NBC17:

1. Tour groups should be at least five people and no larger than 25. The age and size of the group will affect the length of the tour program.
2. We provide the tour experience for all ages. We recommend that children be at least 4 years old to understand and enjoy the elements of the tour.
3. Please schedule your tour at least four weeks in advance.
4. Tours last 45 minutes and are conducted at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are best for tours, but exceptions can be made.
5. Please contact NBC17 if your tour group is running late. If a tour begins more than 15 minutes late, a revised tour will be given.
6. No tours are conducted during holidays.
7. Children's groups must have chaperones at all times
8. Please give at least 48 hours notice for cancellations.
9. If a news or weather emergency arises, NBC17 reserves the right to cancel a tour.

To schedule a station tour, please send an e-mail to Helene Reffeitt with the following information:

1. Name of Group
2. Number of attendees
3. If a school group, please indicate area of interest (Weather, News, Sports etc.)
4. Tour Date (Please list three)
5. Tour Time (10 a.m. or 4 p.m.)
6. Group Leader Contact Information (Phone & E-Mail)
   

Melanie Sanders NBC17 News Anchor at 6, 7 and 11 p.m.

WNCN-TV msanders@wncn.com

You can watch Melanie Sanders every weeknight at 6, 7, and 11 on NBC 17 news. Melanie arrived in Raleigh in March 2003 from New Orleans, where she worked for NBC affiliate WDSU-TV in New Orleans.

Her television career has had a Southern theme. Her first job was for the CBS affiliate in the Dothan Alabama/Panama City Florida market. Within a year, she was anchoring and reporting. She was able to get her feet wet with that job -- quite literally -- with her extensive coverage of Panama City's 1994 hurricane and flood. Her career then took her through Mobile, Ala.

Since arriving at NBC17, Melanie has made her mark in the community. She has reported live from Camp Lejeune during President Bush's visit. She covered the Carolina Hurricanes successful Stanley Cup Championship Finals in Raleigh, as well as, in Edmonton Canada.

"Television journalism is a wonderful career. It gives you the unique opportunity to meet new people and learn about new things every day. You then have the awesome responsibility to pass that information on to viewers -- to either educate or enlighten. I can't imagine waking up and working in any other profession," she says.

Away from work, Melanie enjoys movies and reading. She admits, however, she and her husband spend most of their time chasing after their two boys.

Wes Hohenstein
NBC17 Chief Meteorologist

Email: wes@mync.com
Twitter: WeatherWes
Blog: Raining Cats and Dogs

Wes Hohenstein provides central North Carolina with the latest Precision Forecast weeknights on NBC17 news at 6, 7 and 11.

Wes joined the Precision Weather Team in 2006; but, it was an 8th grade science project that started his broadcast meteorology career. Fortunately, there was no such thing as YouTube back then, so footage of that first weathercast is not available! From there, it was on to Saint Louis University where he received a degree in Meteorology.

During college, Wes interned at the NBC station in St. Louis, where he learned what it takes to be a great television meteorologist. That internship helped Wes get his first job at KLFY in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was here where he earned his American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval, a mark of distinction given to broadcast meteorologists who meet established criteria for scientific competence and effectively communicate their forecast on a daily basis. He has also won an Associated Press award for best weathercast.

From the bayou, Wes moved to KTVX in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to morning weather, Wes also did some feature reporting. It was a great time to be in Salt Lake City, during the 2002 Winter Olympics, plus some of the best skiing in the world was only a few minutes away.

After two years in Utah, Wes moved back south to Houston, Texas where he did morning weather for the NBC station, KPRC. In Houston, he covered everything from hurricanes to floods and even a white Christmas one year. Those events prepared Wes for the wild weather we often get in North Carolina.

Aside from providing a daily forecast, being an active part of the community is very important to Wes. Over the years he has visited hundreds of schools, sharing his weather knowledge and television stories with students. He also speaks with summer camps, church groups and community organizations on a regular basis. Wes considers opportunities like these to be the best part of his job!

Wes was born in Decatur, Illinois, but grew up and spent most of his younger years in St. Charles, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. In his spare time, Wes can usually be found on the golf course, grilling in the back yard or cheering for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. He is also a huge college basketball fan, but refuses to commit publicly to any team other than his Saint Louis University Billikens. Wes and his family, including their yellow lab Zoe, make their home in Holly Springs.

When he's not forecasting for central North Carolina, Wes is sharing his thoughts on his blog: Raining Cats and Dogs. Check it out here or feel free to drop Wes an e-mail anytime.  He loves hearing from you about weather or anything else on your mind.
 

Penn Holderness Sports Director

pholderness@wncn.com

Penn Holderness was born in Durham and attended Durham Jordan High School where he played hoops.

Penn went to college at UVA and majored in philosophy, but took a crack at journalism after graduating in 1996 as an intern for the WTVD ABC11 sports department.

His first on-air job in was in Grand Junction, Colorado, then Penn moved to Orlando for five years where he met his wife.

Penn hosted three seasons of "Designer finals" on HGTV, and hosted a college hoops show in New York with former Tar Heel Coach Matt Doherty on CSTV.

Most recently, Penn worked as a video essayist for ABC and ESPN while living in Manhattan.
His first child was born in February of 2007.

Penn and his family are thrilled to be back in the Triangle, closer to their families who reside in the area.

Donald Jones NBC17 Today Anchor WNCN-TV

djones@wncn.com

Donald Jones is an award-winning anchor, reporter, producer and writer. He anchors NBC17 Today from 5 to 7 a.m. weekdays with Sharon Tazewell.

He has recently worked with Spyhop Productions on projects for National Geographic and Public Television. Before taking time off to be a stay-at-home dad with his first child, Donald worked as a freelance reporter and anchor for NBC17.

His work included ice-storm coverage with live shots for NBC's Today Show, MSNBC and feeds for affiliates across the country. Donald came to the Triangle from Orlando, Fla., where he anchored the weekend news for four years. He started his career in Savannah, Ga., as an anchor and reporter.

Donald covered the political scene and specialized in feature reporting. During his 16 years of journalism, stories have taken Donald around the world.

Operation Support Hope was the subject of an award-winning documentary and five-part series for Donald. He spent time in four countries in Africa covering the U.S. response to help feed hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Television news series have also taken him on location across the U.S. capturing the human perspective and sharing it through the lens of a camera.

Donald enjoys the great outdoors with his wife and their two sons. His hobbies include biking, fly-fishing, camping and hiking.

Sharon Tazewell NBC17 Today Anchor WNCN-TV

stazewell@wncn.com

You can catch Sharon bright and early, anchoring our NBC17 Today newscasts.

Sharon's exciting background makes her a perfect fit to report today's news stories. As a child, she was forced to leave her homeland of Antigua And Barbuda with her family in the middle of the night due to political unrest.

Sharon's many life experiences have enhanced her ability to easily communicate with people from various walks of life and communicate a story that has meaning to many.

Sharon's life experiences and her journalism education at Kent State University have perfectly groomed her to be a journalist for such a time as this.

Before joining NBC-17, Sharon anchored the evening news at WCTV and WTLH in Tallahassee. She has also worked at Eye to Eye with Connie Chung in Washington, D.C., WKYC in Cleveland, WEHT in Evansville and WHSV in Harrisonburg.

Even as an aggressive and devoted professional, Sharon's first love is her family. When away from work, she devotes her time to her family, traveling to new adventures, and exercising. Sharon's also a trained pianist and vocalist and a member of NABJ.

Steve Sbraccia General Assignment Reporter WNCN-TV

ssbraccia@wncn.com

Steve Sbraccia is a reporter with a passion for storytelling.

Steve came to Raleigh in June 2005, following more than two decades in Boston, where he worked in both radio and television. His aggressive, yet compassionate, style has won him scores of awards as he covered some of the top stories to come out of New England. Adept at seizing a story and making it his own, Steve was hailed in numerous Boston-area newspaper articles as a reporter who goes the extra mile for a story.

Steve's passion for journalism extends beyond broadcasting. He spent 10 years as an assistant professor at Emerson College in Boston, teaching young broadcasters. He's proud that many of his students have gone on to prominent careers of their own.

He was also a member of a federal advisory board that helped rewrite and develop a public relations program for Emergency Medical Services nationwide that became a nationally recognized role model for EMS.

Steve also believes in giving back to his community and was a board member for the Boston-based "For Fathering" program, which helped reach out to inner-city youth to teach them how to become better fathers and citizens.

Steve, his wife and their two daughters now proudly call the Triangle home. The more sedate North Carolina lifestyle allows him to spend more time indulging his other passion -- his family.

Shirley Min
General Assignment Reporter
NBC17 - WNCN-TV

smin@wncn.com

Shirley Min

Shirley Min joined NBC 17 as a General Assignment Reporter in April of 2006.

Previously, Shirley reported news and traffic for WB 22 and News 14 Carolina. She began her career in Philadelphia, reporting for the FOX and UPN affiliates.

Shirley graduated cum laude from New York University, where she double majored in Broadcast Journalism and East Asian Studies.

A Philly native, Shirley enjoys watching Eagles games, golfing, trying new foods and traveling.

Kim Genardo
Political Reporter & Host of "At Issue"
NBC17.com

KGenardo@wncn.com

Kim Genardo

Every Sunday morning Kim hosts NBC17's "At Issue", our weekly show about the hottest news, events, politics and topics from across the Triangle area. Kim is also our resident political reporter - covering both local and national political stories - and explains how they may affect you.

Prior to joining NBC17, Kim spent three years as a weekend anchor at WGHP in Greensboro. She also has worked as a weeknight anchor and reporter in Evansville, Ind., and Clarksburg, W.Va. In all, Kim has 10 years of experience in front of the camera.

Kim is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Throughout her career, Kim has enjoyed charitable work and public speaking. She has worked with the American Business Women's Association, the American Cancer Society, law enforcement's DARE programs and several other organizations.

Kim is married with two children. In her free time, she enjoys crafting and music.

Chris Cowperthwaite
Cary Reporter
Chris Cowperthwaite

CCowperthwaite@wncn.com

Chris Cowperthwaite

As NBC17's Cary reporter, Chris Cowperthwaite focuses most of his time covering Cary and Western Wake County.

Chris joined NBC17 in June of 2007, after spending four years reporting for WTOC in Savannah, Georgia. He worked as the Hilton Head Island reporter for two years, before sliding into the lead night side reporter position. At WTOC, he covered the Verizon Heritage PGA tournament five years in a row, flew with the Blue Angels, and went to the Gulf Coast for coverage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. While working in Savannah, Chris earned two Georgia AP awards, one in 2005 for Best Sportscast and another in 2006 for Best Sports Feature.

Prior to his arrival in the Coastal Empire, Chris was one of three reporters covering Ottumwa, Iowa, for KTVO, which is based in Kirksville, Missouri. He interviewed presidential candidates during the Iowa Caucus in 2000, and covered countless tornados tearing through the Hawkeye State. Chris earned Best Political Coverage from the Iowa Broadcast News Association in 2001.

Chris graduated from the University of Florida in 1999 with a degree in Telecommunications. Aside from watching the Gators win NCAA titles, he enjoys the beach, live music and pretending to train Griffin, his 8-year-old Golden Retriever mix.

Lauren Hills
Orange County Reporter
NBC17.com

LHills@wncn.com

I get asked a lot what I like about being a reporter and I always wish I had a profound answer. But for me it's pretty simple: I love talking to people and I love telling stories. Thank goodness I found a job that lets me do that!

I joined the NBC 17 News team in September 2007 as our primary Orange County general assignment reporter. I cover just about anything you can think of from local government to schools and, of course, the University of North Carolina.

I came to NBC 17 from WBOY in Morgantown, West Virginia where I was the stations Monongalia/Preston County bureau chief. While I was there, I had the opportunity to cover countless stories and meet some amazing West Virginians while I was at it. I will never forget my time there or the people I met!

I grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida and graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). Before transferring to UF, I attended West Liberty State College near Wheeling, WV where I earned a basketball scholarship and played for one of the best Division 2 women's basketball teams in the country. These days I still get on the court as often as I can and am quickly becoming a Tar Heel fan (how can you not?).

I'm very excited to be in the Triangle and especially Orange County which I can already tell is a special place. I'm always looking for stories so feel free to shoot me an e-mail anytime or heck, just stop me at the grocery store if you see me!

Julie Henry Health & Fitness Reporter NBC17.com

JHenry@wncn.com

Julie Henry is happy to be at NBC 17 News and return to television journalism after a decade as a freelance health and wellness writer in the Triangle.

A Georgia native, Julie graduated from Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, where she completed internships at CNN, WAGA-TV and WATL-TV.

Upon graduation, Julie worked as a reporter and anchor at WMGT-TV in Macon, Georgia, as a health reporter and anchor at WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and as a reporter and anchor for UNC-TV.

Julie's experience also includes working in hospital media and community relations.

Julie is active in the community as a Cub Scout leader, children's choir director and PTA volunteer and she serves on the Wake County PTA Council.

She lives in Cary with her husband and three sons.

Laura Barron
Reporter
NBC17.com

LBarron@wncn.com

Laura Barron

You can find Laura reporting on everything from politics to being "green" during the week and anchoring NBC 17 News at 6,7 and 11 on Saturdays.

She joined the team in 2007 after making a few stops in cities that have enriched her life. Her career began at NBC17's sister station in Greenville, N.C. and then took her to Louisville, KY where she was an anchor and reporter.

In Louisville, Laura covered presidential visits, the Kentucky Derby (twice!) and the Comair Flight 5191 crash in Lexington. While working in Greenville, Laura had the exhilarating opportunity to fly in an F-15E Strike Eagle out of Seymour Johnson. She also won an Associated Press award for "Best Enterprise Documentary" for her coverage of the Outlying Landing Field (OLF) issue in Eastern North Carolina.

Laura is from the Philadelphia area and earned her degree is mass communications and minor in French from the University of Delaware, home of the Fightin' Blue Hens. An adrenaline junkie, she's tried everything from bungee jumping to sky diving. She and her husband Dan, a Wake Forest native, are happy to call Raleigh home.

Kerry Hall Wake Forest - Rolesville Reporter NBC17.com

KHall@wncn.com

Kerry Hall reports for NBC17 & MyNC, focusing on telling the stories of people in communities in North and East Wake County.

Kerry moved to the Triangle in June 2007 from the Midwest, after reporting for stations in Sioux City, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. There she covered everything from presidential candidates gaining momentum before the Iowa Caucuses, to farming families facing the worst drought in Illinois' history.

She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Theatre and minors in German and Gender Studies. If you can think of any ways for her to use German or Gender Studies, please let us know.

Kerry enjoys traveling to visit family and old friends, meeting new friends, reading (particularly anything by Raleigh's own David Sedaris) and trying out local restaurants (mostly because she's banned herself from the kitchen after a popcorn fire in '06). She also sings showtunes while driving around town, but avoids eye-contact with other drivers while doing it.

If you see Kerry out and about, feel free to stop and say hi. Or if you have a story idea, you can email her by clicking here.

Jaclyn Asztalos Cary - Apex Reporter NBC17.com

JAsztalos@wncn.com

Jaclyn is from Buffalo, New York but has made the south her home for over four years. Before coming to North Carolina, she lived in Atlanta and worked at Fox 24 News in Macon, Georgia. Jaclyn covered a wide variety of stories and met many interesting people. One of those stories earned Jaclyn a Georgia Association of Broadcasters Award in 2007.

Jaclyn is an Orange woman! She attended Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications home of Otto the Orange. She majored in Broadcast Journalism and minored in English and Psychology.

In her time away from work, Jaclyn loves to spend time with family and friends. She also enjoys working out, dancing and football season. Let's Go Buffalo Bills!

She believes that a positive attitude leads to personal and professional success.

Peter Kunisch NBC17 Weekend Today Meteorologist WNCN-TV

pkunisch@wncn.com

Peter Kunisch joined the NBC17 Weather Plus team in April 2006 and can be seen on NBC17 Weekend Today every Saturday and Sunday morning.

Peter is a native of Hartford, Conn., and has forecasted weather from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the shores of North Carolina, with many stops in between. Before joining NBC17, Peter covered snow and thunderstorms for WMTV-TV in Madison, Wis., including a record outbreak of tornadoes in the summer of 2005. He has also worked at WNBC-TV in New York and at KJCT-TV in Grand Junction, Colo.

Peter is a graduate of Fordham University in New York and continues to study the ever-changing atmosphere.

When not working, Peter enjoys playing hockey, golf, bike riding and reading. He and his wife absolutely love it in the Triangle.

Bill Reh NBC17 Today Meteorologist WNCN-TV

breh@wncn.com

Bill Reh has been forecasting the weather in central North Carolina since 1983. He earned the American Meteorological Society Television Seal of Approval in 1984.

Bill spent 13 years working and forecasting the weather at WTVD in Durham, covering such weather events as the Red Springs killer tornado outbreak of 1984, the deadly Raleigh tornado of November 1988 and Hurricane Fran in 1996. He also wrote and produced the exhibit: "Ask a Meteorologist" for the N.C. Museum of Life and Science in Durham.

Bill then worked at WB22 in Raleigh for five years forecasting and covering Hurricane Floyd and the Snow Storm of the Century in 2000. He also initiated the first ozone maps to be used graphically in the country and presented a tutorial video at the 2003 National Air Quality Conference in San Antonio.

Through his experiences as a television meteorologist in the area, he has gained an unique understanding of how important the weather is to viewers and how it affects North Carolinians. He says that he has gotten to the stage in his career where young adults come up to him and say that they grew up watching him.

Bill graduated from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., with a double major in meteorology and broadcasting.

He has taught continuing education classes on the weather at Duke University and has visited literally thousands of school children throughout the years explaining the how's and why's of weather.

When he's not forecasting the weather for NBC17, Bill enjoys coaching soccer, cooking and spending time with his family.

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