Hugh Smith (news anchor)

Hugh L. Smith (May 12, 1934 - December 16, 2007)[1] was a reporter, news anchor, and news director at WTVT in Tampa, Florida,[2] from 1963 until his retirement in 1991.[3][4] 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.[3]

Early life

Smith was born in Madison, South Dakota and grew up in the small town of Pipestone, Minnesota.[3] He developed an interest in radio by listening to broadcasters Edward R. Murrow, Eric Sevareid, Douglas Edwards, and Robert Trout.[3] He earned a journalism degree at the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1956.[3] He was editor-in-chief of the Minnesota Daily student newspaper during the 1955–56 academic year.

Career

Smith's broadcast career started as staff writer for WCCO-AM in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[3] 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.[3][4][5] He was named assistant news director of WTVT in 1966.[6] In 1966 he anchored the first color newscast in Tampa.[3] In 1976 he did their first remote live broadcast while reporting from a helicopter hovering 500 feet over a news scene.[4] 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.[3] He held the dual post of news director and news anchor for 15 years.[4] He left the station in 1991.[7] He then substituted in April 1991 for radio station WMTX morning broadcaster Pat Brooks,[7] and joined the WMTX's Mason Dixon morning show as news anchor.[3] He died in St. Petersburg, Florida on December 16, 2007 from complications from melanoma.[4]

References
  1. "Hugh L Smith". Fold3. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  2. Benbow, Charles (April 14, 1974). "Even off-the-air they're news". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  3. Belcher, Walt (December 18, 2007). "Pioneering Anchor Smith Dies". Tampa Tribune. Archived from the original on April 3, 2011. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  4. Deggans, Eric (December 18, 2007). "Longtime local TV news anchor dies of melanoma". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
  5. Broadcasting. 74. Cahners Publishing. 1968. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  6. "Director of News". St. Petersburg Times. May 12, 1966. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  7. Duryea, Bill (April 30, 1991). "Hugh Smith works stint at radio station". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2009-06-13.



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