Wltx News Anchors
Let’s talk about the folks who wake you up every morning on WLTX—the news anchors who somehow look like they’ve had eight hours of sleep and a personal stylist, while you’re o...
Let’s talk about the folks who wake you up every morning on WLTX—the news anchors who somehow look like they’ve had eight hours of sleep and a personal stylist, while you’re over here trying to find matching socks in the dark. These South Carolina legends are the unshakable faces of Columbia, balancing breaking news with a straight face and, apparently, some truly bizarre behind-the-scenes habits. So grab your coffee (yes, the one you spilled on your shirt), because I’m about to spill the tea on your favorite local news team.
The Morning Miracle Workers
Think waking up at 4 a.m. is brutal? For anchors like Dawndy Mercer Plank and Judi Gatson, that’s just the warm-up—one once admitted to chugging a cold brew and singing show tunes in the shower just to get the blood flowing. Surprising fact: Dawndy once anchored an entire broadcast while a live snake slithered across the studio floor, and she never flinched. Meanwhile, Judi has a secret talent for identifying any 1980s power ballad within three notes, which she uses to calm the team before a tornado warning.
The Evening Stars: Cool Under Fire
When the sun goes down, anchors like Billie Jean Shaw and Chris Reeser take over, looking like they just stepped out of a GQ or Vogue shoot. But don’t let the suits fool you—Billie Jean once reported live while a stray cat jumped onto her desk, and she adopted it on the spot. And Chris? He holds the unofficial WLTX record for most times tripping over a cable during a live shot. His recovery line: “Just testing your reflexes, folks!” The man could sell you a used car and make you feel grateful for the joy of its broken radio.
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The Weather Wizards & Sports Sages
Meteorologist Jim Gandy has been predicting rain for so long that he owns a pair of rain boots older than most of the interns. He once calculated that he’s said the phrase “scattered showers” approximately 14,000 times—and he’s still not sick of it. Over in sports, Jay Phillips lives for high school football, but here’s the kicker: he can’t actually throw a spiral. “I played chess in high school,” he joked on air, and the entire newsroom still roasts him for it.
Meet the WLTX Team | Columbia, SC | WLTX.com | wltx.com
The Surprising Bond
Here’s the real shocker: some of these anchors have been working together for over two decades, and they haven’t killed each other. In fact, they have a secret group chat called “The Coffee Conspiracy,” where they share memes about weird viewer emails and compete for the best blooper reel submission. One Christmas, they all showed up wearing matching ugly sweaters with each other’s faces on them. It was terrible. It was glorious. And it’s why WLTX feels less like a news station and more like a slightly dysfunctional, very loud family.
The Final Take
So next time you flip on WLTX, remember: behind those perfect smiles are humans who chug energy drinks, trip over cables, and adopt stray cats mid-broadcast. They’re the ones who make local news feel like a friend dropping by your living room—just a friend who happens to know exactly where the nearest car crash is. And honestly? That’s the kind of chaos we all need in our morning routine.
