Hugh Smith (news anchor)
Hugh Smith (died December 16, 2007) was a reporter, news anchor, and news director at WTVT in Tampa, Florida,[1] from 1963 until his retirement in 1991.[2][3] Having worked at WTVT for over 27 years, he is considered a television pioneer, being part of the first live color telecast in Tampa, the first remote broadcast, and the first hour-long newscast.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Smith was born in Madison, South Dakota and grew up in the small town of Pipestone, Minnesota.[2] He developed an interest in radio by listening to broadcasters Edward R. Murrow, Eric Sevareid, Douglas Edwards, and Robert Trout.[2] He earned a journalism degree at the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1956.[2] He was editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Daily student newspaper during the 1955-56 academic year.
[edit] Career
Smith's broadcast career started as staff writer for WCCO-AM in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[2] He later went to work at WHAS AM/TV in Louisville, Kentucky, and later went to work at KVTV in Sioux City, Iowa before coming to WTVT in 1963.[2][3][4] He was named assistant news director of WTVT in 1966.[5] In 1966 he anchored the first color newscast in Tampa.[2] In 1976 he did their first remote live broadcast while reporting from a helicopter hovering 500 feet over a news scene.[3] As news director he was instrumental in increasing the duration of WTVT's news coverage slots - first from 15 to 30 minutes, and then to 60 minutes.[2] He held the dual post of news director and news anchor for 15 years.[3] He left the station in 1991.[6] He then substituted in April 1991 for radio station WMTX morning broadcaster Pat Brooks,[6] and joined the WMTX's Mason Dixon[disambiguation needed 
] morning show as news anchor.[2] He died in St. Petersburg, Florida on December 16, 2007 from complications from melanoma.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Benbow, Charles (April 14, 1974). "Even off-the-air they're news". St. Petersberg Times. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jMUNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NnMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2860,2863318&dq=hugh-smith+news. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Belcher, Walt (December 18, 2007). "Pioneering Anchor Smith Dies". Tampa Tribune. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/dec/18/172333/me-pioneering-anchor-smith-dies/. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ a b c d e Deggans, Eric (December 18, 2007). "Longtime local TV news anchor dies of melanoma". St. Petersberg Times. http://www.sptimes.com/2007/12/18/Features/Longtime_local_TV_new.shtml. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ Broadcasting. 74. Cahners Publishing. 1968. http://books.google.com/books?id=_isoAAAAMAAJ&q=Hugh+Smith,+WTVT&dq=Hugh+Smith,+WTVT&ei=EK02SreWE4XWlQTaqdWrBQ&pgis=1. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
- ^ "Director of News". St. Petersburg Times. May 12, 1966. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AMsNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DHQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6367,762172&dq=hugh-smith+news. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ^ a b Duryea, Bill (April 30, 1991). "Hugh Smith works stint at radio station". St. Petersburg Times. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ir8MAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N18DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3415,5281679&dq=hugh-smith+death. Retrieved 2009-06-13.[dead link]
[edit] External links
 |
This biographical article related to television in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
