WRAL, the CBS affiliate in Raleigh-Durham, is launching a news partnership with The Fayetteville Observer.

The station has relocated its Fayetteville bureau to the Observer‘s newsroom. The new bureau will debut on the air on the 5 p.m. newscast Friday.

“The Observer has a long tradition of outstanding local coverage, and we’re excited about growing a partnership with the newspaper that will benefit our viewers and their readers,” WRAL president and general manager Steven Hammel said in a statement.

WRAL has promoted Jim Rothschild, who served as the CBS-affiliate’s director of station operations, to station manager.

Rothschild joined WRAL in 2010 after serving as director of operations at St. Louis’s KMOV, where he worked for nearly three decades.

“Jim is well known in our industry as a creative thinker, someone who truly understands the power of television to make a difference in the community,” WRAL vice president and general manager Steven Hammel said, in announcing the move.  “From day one he embraced the culture of community and innovation we cultivate at Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV.”

WRAL is owned by Capitol Broadcasting, which owns and/or operates a handful of stations throughout North Carolina.