Frank Kingston Smith
Encyclopedia
Frank Kingston Smith is an American
radio
personality (disk jockey) who worked extensively in Top 40 and oldies
formatted AM and FM stations in major Northeastern United States
markets for almost three decades.
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, Smith worked at stations such as WFIL
and WIBG
, Philadelphia (1966; 1970); WICE, Providence
(1967-68); WRKO
, Boston, under the Bill Drake
-assigned name "Bobby Mitchell" (1968-70); and WABC (AM)
, New York (1971-74). At WRKO, "Mitchell" preceded Boston radio legend Dale Dorman
as the morning personality (on one of his first days on the job, he was preempted by coverage of the assassination
of Robert F. Kennedy
), and was the successor to another Hub radio luminary, J. J. Jeffrey
, in the afternoon drive slot.
In 1974, Smith returned to Boston radio, where he worked for almost 20 years at many of the city's "contemporary hit," mainstream and oldies music stations: WHDH
(1974-75); WVBF (1975-78); WBZ
(1978-79); WRKO again, this time under his real name (1979-81); WROR (1981-1985); WKKT (became WZLX
, 1985-88); and WODS
(1988-93).
A private pilot
for many years, Smith also has served as master of ceremonies at air shows throughout the USA. He relocated to the Phoenix, Arizona
, area in late 1993 and has continued to work as a host of such events and as a voice-over
artist.
Smith's father, Frank Kingston Smith Sr. was a well known and highly respected aviation writer. He wrote nine books and hundreds of magazine articles about private aviation. He died in 2003.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
personality (disk jockey) who worked extensively in Top 40 and oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
formatted AM and FM stations in major Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
markets for almost three decades.
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Smith worked at stations such as WFIL
WFIL
WFIL is a radio station and a former television station serving the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its transmitter is located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania....
and WIBG
WIBG
WIBG is a talk radio station from Ocean City, New Jersey. These call letters were previously used in Philadelphia for a pioneering rock 'n' roll station now called WNTP....
, Philadelphia (1966; 1970); WICE, Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
(1967-68); WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
, Boston, under the Bill Drake
Bill Drake
Bill Drake , born Philip Yarbrough, was an American radio programmer who co-developed the Boss Radio format with Gene Chenault via their company Drake-Chenault.-Early career:...
-assigned name "Bobby Mitchell" (1968-70); and WABC (AM)
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
, New York (1971-74). At WRKO, "Mitchell" preceded Boston radio legend Dale Dorman
Dale Dorman
Dale Dorman is an American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame radio disc jockey on WODS in Boston. Until September 15 2008 , he hosted The Breakfast Club with Dale Dorman weekday mornings from 5:30-9 AM. Dorman finished his career as a weekend personality with the station. He is now happily retired...
as the morning personality (on one of his first days on the job, he was preempted by coverage of the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
), and was the successor to another Hub radio luminary, J. J. Jeffrey
J. J. Jeffrey
J.J. Jeffrey is an American radio executive and a former prominent Top 40 disc jockey whose work was heard on some of the United States' most influential rock-and-roll stations during the 1960s and 1970s....
, in the afternoon drive slot.
In 1974, Smith returned to Boston radio, where he worked for almost 20 years at many of the city's "contemporary hit," mainstream and oldies music stations: WHDH
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
(1974-75); WVBF (1975-78); WBZ
WBZ (AM)
WBZ is the call sign for an AM radio station in Boston, Massachusetts owned by CBS Radio, itself owned by the CBS Corporation. Originally based in and broadcast from Springfield, Massachusetts, WBZ was the first commercial radio station in the United States...
(1978-79); WRKO again, this time under his real name (1979-81); WROR (1981-1985); WKKT (became WZLX
WZLX
WZLX is a prominent classic rock radio station in the Boston, Massachusetts market. WZLX was one of the first classic rock FM stations in America...
, 1985-88); and WODS
WODS
- External links :****...
(1988-93).
A private pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
for many years, Smith also has served as master of ceremonies at air shows throughout the USA. He relocated to the Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, area in late 1993 and has continued to work as a host of such events and as a voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
artist.
Smith's father, Frank Kingston Smith Sr. was a well known and highly respected aviation writer. He wrote nine books and hundreds of magazine articles about private aviation. He died in 2003.
External links
- http://www.frankkingstonsmith.com
- http://www.aero-news.net/news/featurestories.cfm?ContentBlockID=21cffd85-f2e3-4811-8926-c3b613aadd01&Dynamic=1