Kimberly Hunt
Encyclopedia
Kimberly Hunt is an Emmy Award
winning San Diego news anchor/reporter for KGTV
. During her career Hunt has interviewed sitting Presidents, Oprah Winfrey
, and other military, political and business leaders. She has reported live from the Academy Awards
, Super Bowl
games, political conventions, and other events.
, California
and raised in Napa
before going on to graduate from San Francisco State University
. During college, she worked as a radio news reporter for KVON
/KVYN Radio in Napa. After graduating, Hunt went to work for ABC Network News as a researcher for Peter Jennings
during the Democratic National Convention
in San Francisco. At the close of the convention, she began working as an associate producer for ABC's Monday Night Football
.
Hunt began her on-air television career at the CBS affiliate in Monterey, CA. She came to San Diego in 1987 as an anchor for the ABC affiliate, KGTV. For 15 years, Hunt co-anchored the evening newscasts with Carol LeBeau, making them the longest running female anchor team in the U.S. Hunt joined the KUSI News
team in October 2002. For five years, she anchored the 6:00pm, 10:00pm & 11:00pm weeknight newscasts. Hunt was also a host of the weekend show, San Diego People. In January 2008, Hunt rejoined the 10News team. She currently co-anchor's KGTV's 5:00pm, 7:00pm & 11:00pm weeknight newscasts with Steve Atkinson.
Hunt is married to former San Diego Chargers
linebacker, Billy Ray Smith, with whom she has a daughter.
for Best Investigative News Story, Best Feature News Story, Best Journalistic Enterprise and Best Evening Newscast. Her contributions to other reports and newscasts have also garnered additional Emmys. In 2011, Hunt won an Edward R. Murrow Award
for her story, Tracking the Mexican Mafia - Inside Donovan State Prison. Hunt has earned other industry honors including two first place awards from the San Diego Press Club, for her exposé on Open Air Brothels in San Diego's canyons and her report on Sex Trafficking. She also earned a Golden Mike for her special Postcards From Home during the Persian Gulf War
, which linked local Marines with their families via videotaped messages. She was also presented with the Attorney General's Crime Prevention Award.
Hunt volunteers as Mistress of Ceremonies, for such organizations as The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
, Dia Del Sol (United Cerebral Palsy), The March of Dimes, The San Diego Burn Institute, and the annual lighting of the Tree of Life, in support of Mama's Kitchen and the fight against HIV and AIDS. In April 2007, Hunt helped to launch the city's 1st annual Sleepless In San Diego, benefiting The San Diego Rescue Mission.
In March 2011, Hunt was honored by Soroptimist International for her investigative reports exposing the world of sex trafficking. In November 2007, Hunt and her husband, Billy Ray Smith, were honored with the Legacy Award from Nonprofit Management Solutions, for their charitable contributions, both in San Diego and abroad.
Hunt serves as emcee for San Diego's annual Shop with a Cop, which pairs officers with underprivileged children, to provide them with holiday gifts. Hunt's family has a history of law enforcement service. Her father was a Lieutenant with the California Highway Patrol
, and her grandfather was a constable with the Ojai Police Department.
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winning San Diego news anchor/reporter for KGTV
KGTV
KGTV, digital channel 10, is the ABC television affiliate in San Diego, California. The station can be seen on Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable, and AT&T U-verse on cable channel 10 in standard definition. Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable carry its high definition signal on cable...
. During her career Hunt has interviewed sitting Presidents, Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, and other military, political and business leaders. She has reported live from the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
games, political conventions, and other events.
Career
Hunt was born in VenturaVentura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and raised in Napa
Napa, California
-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...
before going on to graduate from San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
. During college, she worked as a radio news reporter for KVON
KVON
KVON is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Napa, California, USA, it serves the Santa Rosa area. The station is currently owned by Wine Country Broadcasting Company and features programing provided by ABC Radio and Westwood One....
/KVYN Radio in Napa. After graduating, Hunt went to work for ABC Network News as a researcher for Peter Jennings
Peter Jennings
Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings, CM was a Canadian American journalist and news anchor. He was the sole anchor of ABC's World News Tonight from 1983 until his death in 2005 of complications from lung cancer...
during the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in San Francisco. At the close of the convention, she began working as an associate producer for ABC's Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
.
Hunt began her on-air television career at the CBS affiliate in Monterey, CA. She came to San Diego in 1987 as an anchor for the ABC affiliate, KGTV. For 15 years, Hunt co-anchored the evening newscasts with Carol LeBeau, making them the longest running female anchor team in the U.S. Hunt joined the KUSI News
KUSI-TV
KUSI-TV, virtual channel 51.1, is an independent television station based in San Diego, California. The station is owned and operated by Channel 51 of San Diego, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of McKinnon Broadcasting...
team in October 2002. For five years, she anchored the 6:00pm, 10:00pm & 11:00pm weeknight newscasts. Hunt was also a host of the weekend show, San Diego People. In January 2008, Hunt rejoined the 10News team. She currently co-anchor's KGTV's 5:00pm, 7:00pm & 11:00pm weeknight newscasts with Steve Atkinson.
Hunt is married to former San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
linebacker, Billy Ray Smith, with whom she has a daughter.
Awards
Hunt has earned four regional Emmy AwardsPacific Southwest Chapter of the National Television Academy
Pacific Southwest Chapter of the National Television Academy is a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The San Diego, California division was founded in 1972...
for Best Investigative News Story, Best Feature News Story, Best Journalistic Enterprise and Best Evening Newscast. Her contributions to other reports and newscasts have also garnered additional Emmys. In 2011, Hunt won an Edward R. Murrow Award
Edward R. Murrow Award
The Edward R. Murrow Awards are presented by the Radio-Television News Directors Association in recognition of what the Association terms "outstanding achievements in electronic journalism."-Judging:...
for her story, Tracking the Mexican Mafia - Inside Donovan State Prison. Hunt has earned other industry honors including two first place awards from the San Diego Press Club, for her exposé on Open Air Brothels in San Diego's canyons and her report on Sex Trafficking. She also earned a Golden Mike for her special Postcards From Home during the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, which linked local Marines with their families via videotaped messages. She was also presented with the Attorney General's Crime Prevention Award.
Community contributions
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a non-profit organization in the United States established to provide the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis . The Foundation provides information about cystic fibrosis and finances CF research that aims to improve the quality of life for people with the...
, Dia Del Sol (United Cerebral Palsy), The March of Dimes, The San Diego Burn Institute, and the annual lighting of the Tree of Life, in support of Mama's Kitchen and the fight against HIV and AIDS. In April 2007, Hunt helped to launch the city's 1st annual Sleepless In San Diego, benefiting The San Diego Rescue Mission.
In March 2011, Hunt was honored by Soroptimist International for her investigative reports exposing the world of sex trafficking. In November 2007, Hunt and her husband, Billy Ray Smith, were honored with the Legacy Award from Nonprofit Management Solutions, for their charitable contributions, both in San Diego and abroad.
Hunt serves as emcee for San Diego's annual Shop with a Cop, which pairs officers with underprivileged children, to provide them with holiday gifts. Hunt's family has a history of law enforcement service. Her father was a Lieutenant with the California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
, and her grandfather was a constable with the Ojai Police Department.