Pete Smith (announcer)
Encyclopedia
Peter Philip Smith OAM
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 29 May 1939 in Melbourne) is an Australian radio and television voice-over artist. He is primarily known for his work with GTV-9
GTV-9
GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at a new high-tech, purpose-built studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands.-History:...
Melbourne as their announcer, including being the announcer on the nationally screened Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century is a television game show format that has been screened in several countries in various incarnations since 1969. The show found its biggest success in Australia, where it aired weeknights from 1980 to 2001...
for twenty-one years.
Radio
Upon leaving school, Smith joined the Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
as a messenger boy before progressing through the ranks to an announcer on the home service and Radio Australia
Radio Australia
Radio Australia is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , Australia's public broadcaster.- History :...
.
On radio in the 1960s, Pete worked with radio station 3AK
3AK
3AK is the call sign of SEN 1116 and earlier the on-air name of a former Melbourne talk-back radio and music station, which, in 2003, leased its licence to sports network SEN 1116...
as a "Good Guy"... with Bert Newton on the Greater 3UZ
3UZ
3UZ is the official callsign of a medium-wave radio station in Melbourne, Australia which broadcasts under the name Radio Sport National.-History:...
as it was known during the seventies. From 1995 to 1998, he was a regular voice-over announcer on the national drive-time show Martin/Molloy
Martin/Molloy
Martin/Molloy was an Australian radio program starring Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, both formerly of The D-Generation and The Late Show. It was broadcast nationwide on 54 radio stations for two hours on weekday evenings between 1995 and 1998....
alongside comedians Tony Martin
Tony Martin (comedian)
Tony Francis Martin is a comedian and writer from Te Kuiti, New Zealand who has had a successful TV, radio, stand-up and film career in Australia.- Career :...
and Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy
Michael "Mick" Molloy is an Australian comedian, writer and producer who has been active in the fields of radio, television, stand-up and film.-Biography:...
.
Since this time he has made guest appearances on comedy-based radio programmes, including Get This
Get This
Get This was an Australian radio comedy show which aired on Triple M and was hosted by Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee, with contributions from panel operator, the late Richard Marsland...
with Tony Martin and Tough Love
Tough Love with Mick Molloy
ToughLove was an Australian comedic radio talk program broadcast from Melbourne through the Triple M network from 12:00PM - 1:00PM AEST in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide....
with Mick Molloy, both aired on Triple M
Triple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
.
Television
As television was introduced into Australia, Smith performed the role of announcer and host for the weekly ABC TVABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
television program Sports View Hit Parade, broadcast on Saturday afternoons.
In 1964, Smith took up a position at the local Melbourne Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
station GTV-9
GTV-9
GTV is a commercial television station in Melbourne, Australia owned by the Nine Network. The station is currently based at a new high-tech, purpose-built studios at 717 Bourke Street, Docklands.-History:...
. There he worked on voice-overs and appeared in Graham Kennedy’s
Graham Kennedy
Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
In Melbourne Tonight
In Melbourne Tonight
In Melbourne Tonight, also known as "IMT", was a highly popular nightly variety television show produced at GTV-9 Melbourne from 6 May 1957 to 1970....
, for which he presented commercials, appeared in comedy sketches, and, on several occasions, acted as compere
Compere
Compère can refer to:* Loyset Compère, a French composer of the Renaissance* Louis Fursy Henri Compere , a French general in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
. From the mid-60s , following Bert Newton's
Bert Newton
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
transfer to a rival network, Smith took over as chief voice-over announcer at GTV-9, a position he would retain for around forty years.
During his time at the network, Smith has also been seen as on-camera host for numerous specials, as well as working for a period in the seventies as a National Nine newsreader. He was also associated for many years with network personality Bert Newton
Bert Newton
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
on the long running New Faces talent show, and on Bert’s night-time variety program. During the late seventies, Smith also hosted his own Tonight Show on NWS-9
NWS-9
NWS is an Australian television station owned by the WIN Corporation which is based in Adelaide, Australia. The station's name, NWS is an acronym of The NeWs South Australia.-Origins:...
in Adelaide.
1979 saw Peter Smith awarded the Douglas Wilkie Medal
Douglas Wilkie Medal
The Douglas Wilkie Medal is an award presented to those who do the least for Australian rules football, in the best and fairest manner. An accolade presented by the Anti-Football League, it is named after Douglas Wilkie, a Sun News-Pictorial columnist who wrote for the paper during the years...
for doing the least for Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
in the fairest manner.
Staying with the Nine Network, Pete was involved with Ernie Sigley
Ernie Sigley
Ernest William "Ernie" Sigley is an enduring Australian entertainment personality known for his square-rimmed spectacles, the gap between his front teeth and his slapstick approach to comedy.-Radio career:...
and Denise Drysdale
Denise Drysdale
Denise Anne Christina Drysdale, is an Australian television personality and comedian. She is often affectionately called Ding-Dong.-Childhood:...
on their weekday morning program Ernie & Denise. From 1980, Smith became the voice-over man for the popular quiz program, Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century is a television game show format that has been screened in several countries in various incarnations since 1969. The show found its biggest success in Australia, where it aired weeknights from 1980 to 2001...
. His voice boomed out for twenty-one years welcoming viewers to the show each night until its demise in 2001. His announcement at the end of the show usually finished with the phrase "Pete Smith speaking".
He went on to become the spokesman for Australian retailer Copperart, appearing in numerous commercials during the 1980s and 1990s.
In the early 1990s Smith made several appearances on the The Late Show
The Late Show (Australian TV series)
The Late Show was a popular Australian comedy show, which ran for two seasons on ABC from 18 July 1992 to 30 October 1993.-Cast:The Late Show has its roots in the 1980s comedy group, The D-Generation...
on ABC-TV, having formed an association with some members of the creators of the show, The D-Generation
The D-Generation
The D-Generation was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for two series, between 1986 and 1987...
, when they filmed several ultimately rejected pilot episodes of programs at Nine. Smith's most memorable performance on The Late Show was performing the Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
song "Dude Looks Like A Lady". He also made a guest appearance during the mid-1990s on the current affairs spoof Frontline
Frontline (Australian TV series)
Frontline is an Australian comedy television series which satirised Australian television current affairs programmes and reporting. It ran for three series of 13 half-hour episodes and was broadcast on ABC TV in 1994, 1995 and 1997.-Production:...
, also created by former members of The D-Generation and screened on the ABC.
Smith's later roles with Nine were warming up and giving announcements to the studio audience for Bert's Family Feud
Bert's Family Feud
Bert's Family Feud was the third Australian version of the game show Family Feud. The series was produced by Grundy Television in conjunction with FremantleMedia. It was broadcast on the Nine Network and hosted by Bert Newton...
and Sale of the Century's revival, Temptation, although he did not appear on the show's broadcast. In 2007, he was the announcer for Mick Molloy's short-lived The Nation
The Nation (TV series)
The Nation was an Australian satirical sketch comedy and discussion series covering the week's events across political and social spectrums, premiering on Tuesday 5 June 2007 at on the Nine Network....
. In 2011 he was the guest on the seventh episode of Tony Martin's comedy program, The Joy of Sets
The Joy of Sets
The Joy of Sets is an Australian comedy television series looking at the elements used to construct television shows. The show was originally broadcast weekly by the Nine Network, premiering on 20 September 2011....
.
Other works
In film he appeared in Crackerjack (as a passerby) and Bad EggsBad Eggs
Bad Eggs is a 2003 Australian comedy movie, written and directed by Tony Martin. It stars Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin and Judith Lucy, with Alan Brough, Bill Hunter, Marshall Napier, Nicholas Bell, Steven Vidler, Shaun Micallef, Robyn Nevin, Brett Swain, Denis Moore and Pete Smith having supporting...
(as a police officer). During the 1990s he was the voiceover man for television advertisements for the Australian homewares chain Copperart, and had a small stint on the ill-fated Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
variety show Micallef Tonight
Micallef Tonight
Micallef Tonight is a short-lived Aria Award–winning Australian variety show that aired on the Nine Network in 2003. It was hosted by comedian Shaun Micallef and also featured the talents of Francis Greenslade, Jason Geary, Livinia Nixon and Pete Smith....
parodying his usual voice over work, announcing joke prizes for their game show segment (describing an ugly couch as "a welcome subtraction from any living-room" and guests' choice to fly by aeroplane with the question "why risk death by ballooning or being fired from a giant cannon when aeroplanes are available?"), and insulting the contestants.
He has also performed in cabaret with Tony Martin, Mick Molloy and Judith Lucy
Judith Lucy
Judith Mary Lucy is an Australian comedian, known primarily for her stand-up comedy. She has toured Australia with several highly successful one-woman shows, including No Waiter I Ordered the Avocado , King Of The Road , An Impossible Dream , The Show , The Show 2 , Colour Me Judith...
and released two nostalgic double CD’s, Pete Smith Specialties: The Great British Dance Bands Of The Thirties and Pete Smith Specialties: The Great British Dance Bands Of The Forties, containing his favourite popular music featuring classic British Dance bands of the 1930s and 1940s.
Now in semi-retirement, Pete splits his time between his homes in both Melbourne and the bayside village of Portsea.
Awards
- Medal of the Order of AustraliaOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, 14 June 2004, For service to the community, particularly through voluntary promotional assistance to charitable organisations. This gives him the post-nominal OAM.
See also
- Copperart
- Temptation (game show)
- Martin/MolloyMartin/MolloyMartin/Molloy was an Australian radio program starring Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, both formerly of The D-Generation and The Late Show. It was broadcast nationwide on 54 radio stations for two hours on weekday evenings between 1995 and 1998....
External links
- Pete Smith 70th Birthday Celebration on TV Tonight
- Pete Smith Biography, Temptation Website, Fremantle Media