
GM of the Year, Markets 51+: Rich ODell, WLTX, Columbia (S.C.)
For WLTX Columbia (South Carolina) president and general manager Rich O'Dell, success is all about feet on the street.
Already a fixture in the state's broadcasting community he has run the station for 20 years and was inducted into the South Carolina Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2018 O'Dell and his news team were selected by parent Tegna to marshall a pilot program aimed at finding the pulse of the community and producing stories that make a difference in residents' everyday lives.
Rich O'Dell (l.) of Tegna's WLTX is a fixture on South Carolina's broadcast scene.
The result, Street Squad/Deep Dive, has been a catalyst for ratings growth in DMA No. 75. In 2019, the station gained seven news-viewer share points in early evening news to take the No. 1 position this past summer. The change was even more dramatic in late news, where WLTX, a CBS affiliate, picked up 15 points on the No. 1 station in the market (NBC affiliate WIS) between July 2017 and July 2019. According to Tegna, WLTX was three share points behind WIS in July 2017 among adults 25-54, and 12 points ahead by July 2019.
Rich has a rare combination of versatility and humility that makes him one of Tegna's most effective and respected leaders, Tegna executive VP and chief operating officer for media operations Lynn Beall said. As his colleagues know, he's incredibly deserving of this award.
Street Squad came out of a brainstorming session at Tegna's quarterly Innovation Summit. WLTX volunteered to spearhead the pilot for Tegna's 61 stations across the country.
More Local Heroes: Station Group of the Year | GM of the Year, Markets 1-25 | News Director of the Year | Multiplatform Broadcaster of the Year
The shift wasn't easy, as it required reporters to upend their regular routines, but was one the newsroom embraced wholeheartedly. After laying the foundation for Street Squad last year, WLTX fully launched the project in January.
The station overhauled workflow in its newsroom. We got rid of the dedicated assignment desk, O'Dell said. We've gotten rid of the old way of doing things.
O'Dell credited news director Julie Eisenman with the makeover. WLTX has one content team and there is no division anymore between producing for on-air and digital.
WLTXs Street Squad makes coverage more relevant to its residents.
We are developing content, producing content, publishing content constantly, whatever platform it goes on, O'Dell said. A greater focus on community reporting means that reporters no longer make the newsroom the first stop of their day. Street Squad staff start off at a specific geographic location each morning.
They're walking into the hair salon, they're walking into a coffee shop and just striking up conversations with people about what's important to them and their neighborhoods and what should we know about, O'Dell said. We have come up with so many stories that are people-related that are absolutely relevant to individual communities that we never, ever would have known about without talking to people.
Uncovering Hidden Stories
One of those stories concerned the deaths of two residents at a public housing complex from carbon monoxide poisoning, which also forced more than 400 tenants out of their apartments. O'Dell led the charge to find out what really happened at the complex, and the station's investigative Deep Dive Team discovered that gas leaks and other safety hazards were a common problem there. At one point during the investigation, two WLTX journalists who were searching through public documents at the housing complex were handcuffed and detained by private security. O'Dell and Eisenman got their reporters released and made sure they got the records for which they were searching.
As a result of WLTX's investigative reporting, several members of the housing board resigned and the South Carolina legislature took action to ensure closer scrutiny of all public housing in the state.
O'Dell credited Eisenman and the WLTX investigative team for their tenacity in pursuing the story. He's proud of the difference his team has already made in the community. I was at church the other day and somebody came up to me and said, Your Street Squad, those guys are doing what needs to be done,' O'Dell said. I love hearing that. It's not just a marketing technique, they are really out there doing the deed.
Relevancy is the key, localism is absolutely the key and we've found another way to make LTX stand out, he added.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
27/04/2026
CES Power, a provider of infrastructure for live events, has announced the acquisition of three Ireland-based businesses: GH Energy Rental Ltd, Event Power, and...
27/04/2026
FuboTV Inc. has announced it is developing its Multiview feature for the Fubo streaming service on select LG TVs, including 2024, 2025, and newer 4K and 8K mode...
27/04/2026
Shade, a file management platform for creative teams, has announced a $14 million funding round led by Khosla Ventures, Construct Capital, and Bling Capital, br...
27/04/2026
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) will present the Immersive Audio Academy 12th Edition - Immersive Audio in All Flavors - on April 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ...
27/04/2026
DAZN has announced DAZN48, a creator program for the FIFA World Cup 2026 that will recruit 48 creators - one representing each of the 48 qualified nations - to ...
27/04/2026
FloSports has announced exclusive streaming rights to four CrossFit competitions: Legends Del Mar: CrossFit Semi-Finals, Magic City Games, NorCal Classic, and t...
27/04/2026
Telestream has announced that Pulse, its software-defined test and measurement p...
27/04/2026
Shade has announced it is a Cloud Computing and Storage winner in the 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Awards. Winners were selected by a panel of industry exp...
27/04/2026
Leading the NBA's video-ads platform, this Penn State grad is at the forefro...
27/04/2026
DAZN has expanded its international broadcast rights for the T100 Triathlon World Tour to include Africa. All races from the T100 calendar will be available for...
27/04/2026
NAB Show has announced the recipients of its 2026 Project of the Year and Product of the Year Awards at a ceremony at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Each wi...
27/04/2026
DIRECTV has launched on Meta Quest headsets, becoming the first MVPD to offer live TV through the platform. The timing coincides with the stretch run of the MLB...
27/04/2026
TBL Team Boxing League has announced a broadcast agreement with MSG Networks to air all remaining Season 4 fights live across MSG's television and digital p...
27/04/2026
IP integration, interoperability, growth of intercommunications were key concerns for vendors and visitors alike
Attendees at the recently concluded 2026 NAB S...
27/04/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
27/04/2026
A pro-audio emphasis, spectrum changes, and on-field audio mark the new products and enhancements to existing offerings
Microphones remain the primary point of...
27/04/2026
The Sports Video Group team was all over the NAB Show floor out in Las Vegas las...
27/04/2026
N r Spotify grundades f r 20 r sedan dominerades musikmarknaden av illegal nedladdning. Sedan dess har streaming bidragit till att teruppr tta betalningsvilja...
27/04/2026
Time on Spotify should feel meaningful and intentional, not something that slips...
27/04/2026
New modular multi-effects plug-in revealed
The latest plug-in from Brainworx delivers a modular set of effects designed to offer a convenient alternative to...
27/04/2026
Kit includes supercardioid & shotgun capsules
High-end mic manufacturer Schoeps have recently introduced another member of their Desert Island Set family. O...
27/04/2026
LA2A-inspired 500-series module arrives
Sound Skulptor have announced the upcoming launch of a new 500-series module that aims to recreate one of the most p...
27/04/2026
SSL-inspired compressor unit upgraded
Stam Audio are well known for their painstaking recreations of vintage audio gear, with their extensive product range ...
27/04/2026
Available for current Nielsen ONE Ads customers, this new capability predicts sa...
27/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/04/2026
Nippon TV's In-House Proprietary AI Solution AiDi Wins Product of the Year A...
27/04/2026
Outpost Introduces Unlimited Collaboration Model for Review and Approval Workflo...
27/04/2026
Ikegami Announces VFE-P07D Monocular OLED Viewfinder with Tiltable 3.5-inch LCD ...
27/04/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large Module-R desk and MediaWall monitor display mount for an expanded master control room at Gravity Medias West...
27/04/2026
Other World Computing Launches OWC Express 4M2 Ultra - Thunderbolt 5 Four-Slot N...
27/04/2026
Back to All News
Netflix announces El sobrino, the new film by Dami n Szifron s...
27/04/2026
Red Seat Ventures Announces Exclusive Multiyear Partnership with Kill Tony The Company is the New Monetization and Distribution Home for the Globally Popula...
27/04/2026
RT 2FM is calling on aspiring DJs across Ireland to take their shot at the spot...
27/04/2026
RT continues to champion Ireland's creative life this May, supporting a broad range of festivals, exhibitions and performances across music, theatre, liter...
26/04/2026
Back to All News
Director Yoon Jong-bin Returns with The Generals' (WT), A...
26/04/2026
Back to All News
Nine Queens, Starring Alvaro Morte and Patrick Criado, Starts ...
25/04/2026
In the heart of Mexico City, music, culture, and fashion converged last night as Spotify and Vogue Latin America welcomed guests to an intimate gathering at Soh...
25/04/2026
New modular multi-effects plug-in revealed
The latest plug-in from Brainworx delivers a modular set of effects designed to offer a convenient alternative to...
25/04/2026
Mediagenix Sweeps 2026 NAB Awards With Wins for Product of the Year and Best of ...
25/04/2026
SCHOEPS Microphones Announces Desert Island Boom Set for NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 24, 2026
0 Comments
Compact modular set ideal for location sound ...
25/04/2026
Berklee Africana Studies Hosts Gospel Extravaganza 2026 The Signature Series event will honor three new inductees to the Berklee Gospel Hall of Fame and celeb...
25/04/2026
Student Spotlight: Siva Maja Gierszewska, who performs under the artist name Siva, shares how she found her songwriting confidence at Berklee.
April 24, 2026...
25/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
24/04/2026
Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) has announced a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property of the Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes from 1/...