A Boston native who became a legend in Louisville television, Chuck Olmstead brought a dramatic and engaging approach to his reporting. After graduating from Suffolk University and reporting for stations in New England and the Detroit Free Press, he joined WHAS-TV in 1975. He remained there until his death in 2009, except for a year or so at WCBS-TV in New York, ended by his decision to return to Louisville. His trademark reporting style, sense of humor and signature hats made him a viewer favorite. So did his ability to ask hard questions and get answers, and his independence from supervisors, WHAS reporting colleague Mark Hebert recalled: "If he was sent out on a story, he thought wasn't relevant to Louisvillians, he'd tell them. I think they realized he was an institution. You just couldn't get rid of Chuck Olmstead. The community loved him and wouldn't have it."