Hugh Smith (news anchor)
Encyclopedia
Hugh Smith was a reporter, news anchor, and news director
at WTVT
in Tampa, Florida
, from 1963 until his retirement in 1991. 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.
and grew up in the small town of Pipestone, Minnesota
. He developed an interest in radio by listening to broadcasters Edward R. Murrow
, Eric Sevareid
, Douglas Edwards
, and Robert Trout
. He earned a journalism degree at the University of Minnesota
and graduated in 1956. He was editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Daily
student newspaper during the 1955-56 academic year.
for WCCO-AM
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. 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. He was named assistant news director of WTVT in 1966. In 1966 he anchored the first color newscast in Tampa. In 1976 he did their first remote live broadcast while reporting from a helicopter hovering 500 feet over a news scene. 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. He held the dual post of news director
and news anchor for 15 years.
He left the station in 1991. He then substituted in April 1991 for radio station WMTX
morning broadcaster Pat Brooks, and joined the WMTX's Mason Dixon morning show as news anchor.
He died in St. Petersburg, Florida
on December 16, 2007 from complications from melanoma
.
News Director
A news director is an individual at a broadcast station or network or a newspaper who is in charge of the news department. In local news, the news director is typically in charge of the entire news staff, including journalists, news presenters, photographers, copy writers, television producers,...
at WTVT
WTVT
WTVT, channel 13, is a television station in Tampa, Florida. It is an owned and operated station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the News Corporation...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, from 1963 until his retirement in 1991. Having worked at WTVT for over 27 years, he is considered a television pioneer, being part of the first live color telecast
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
in Tampa, the first remote broadcast
Remote broadcast
In broadcast engineering, a remote broadcast is broadcasting done from a location away from a formal television studio and is considered an electronic field production . A remote pickup unit is usually used to transmit the audio and/or video back to the television station, where it joins the...
, and the first hour-long newscast.
Early life
Smith was born in Madison, South DakotaMadison, South Dakota
Madison is a city in Lake County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 6,474 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lake County and is home to Dakota State University.-Geography:Madison is located at ....
and grew up in the small town of Pipestone, Minnesota
Pipestone, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,280 people, 1,900 households, and 1,138 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,090.8 people per square mile . There were 2,097 housing units at an average density of 534.4 per square mile...
. He developed an interest in radio by listening to broadcasters Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
, Eric Sevareid
Eric Sevareid
Arnold Eric Sevareid was a CBS news journalist from 1939 to 1977. He was one of a group of elite war correspondents—dubbed "Murrow's Boys"—because they were hired by pioneering CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow....
, Douglas Edwards
Douglas Edwards
Douglas Edwards was America's first network news television anchor, anchoring CBS's first nightly news broadcast from 1948–1962, which was later to be titled CBS Evening News.-Early life and career:...
, and Robert Trout
Robert Trout
Robert "Bob" Trout was an American broadcast news reporter, best known for his radio work before and during World War II...
. He earned a journalism degree at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and graduated in 1956. He was editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Daily
Minnesota Daily
The Minnesota Daily is the campus newspaper of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, published Monday-Thursday while school is in session, and published weekly on Wednesdays during summer sessions. Published since 1900, the paper is one of the largest student-run and student-written newspapers...
student newspaper during the 1955-56 academic year.
Career
Smith's broadcast career started as staff writerStaff writer
Staff writer is a byline that indicates that the author of the article at hand is employed by the periodical that published the article as a regular staff member, and not as a freelance writer or special contributor....
for WCCO-AM
WCCO-AM
WCCO is a radio station located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The station broadcasts on a clear-channel frequency and is owned by CBS Radio. The station's studios are located in downtown Minneapolis, while its transmitter is located in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.With 50,000 watts of power, WCCO's...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. He later went to work at WHAS AM
WHAS (AM)
WHAS, known by the on air branding as "84 WHAS", is an AM radio station broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a 50,000 Watt clear channel radio station assigned to frequency 840 kHz. With clear channel status, its nighttime signal can be heard in most of the continental U.S...
/TV
WHAS-TV
WHAS-TV channel 11 is the ABC affiliated television station in Louisville, Kentucky. Owned by Belo Corporation, the station's transmitter is located in Floyd County, Indiana, near the community of Floyds Knobs...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and later went to work at KVTV in Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
before coming to WTVT in 1963. He was named assistant news director of WTVT in 1966. In 1966 he anchored the first color newscast in Tampa. In 1976 he did their first remote live broadcast while reporting from a helicopter hovering 500 feet over a news scene. 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. He held the dual post of news director
News Director
A news director is an individual at a broadcast station or network or a newspaper who is in charge of the news department. In local news, the news director is typically in charge of the entire news staff, including journalists, news presenters, photographers, copy writers, television producers,...
and news anchor for 15 years.
He left the station in 1991. He then substituted in April 1991 for radio station WMTX
WMTX
WMTX is a Hot AC radio station in Tampa, Florida known as "Mix 100.7". It plays a variety of current hits along with some hit music from the past, as far back as the 1980s.-Station history:...
morning broadcaster Pat Brooks, and joined the WMTX's Mason Dixon morning show as news anchor.
He died in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
on December 16, 2007 from complications from melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
.