Shepard Smith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shepard Smith | ||
|---|---|---|
 Shepard Smith anchoring Studio B, 2007-11-15 |
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| Birth name | David Shepard Smith Jr. | |
| Born | January 14, 1964 | |
| Birth place | Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States | |
| Circumstances | ||
| Occupation | News presenter for Fox News Channel | |
| Salary | US$7 to 8 million | |
| Notable credit(s) | • Studio B anchor • The Fox Report anchor |
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| Official website | ||
Shepard Smith (born David Shepard Smith, Jr. on January 14, 1964) is an American TV news anchor. He is host of The Fox Report with Shepard Smith and Studio B weekdays on the Fox News Channel. In addition, he anchors the 5:00 p.m. ET weekday news update on Fox News Radio, also titled the Fox Report.
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[edit] Background
Smith was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, the son of Dora Ellen (née Anderson) and David Shepard Smith, Sr. Smith attended Marshall Academy, a K–12 private school in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Smith went on to attend the University of Mississippi. He majored in journalism, but left a few credits shy of graduation requirements. He frequently returns to the university during college football season and delivered the university's annual commencement address on May 10, 2008.[1]
Smith has declined to answer questions about his private life, having told Playboy, "I don't talk about those things. I won't tell you what church I go to or whether I go".[2]
[edit] Career
Smith signed his first television contract with WJHG-TV in Panama City Beach, Florida. He worked as a reporter at WCJB-TV in Gainesville, Florida (1985), reporter/anchor in Miami with WSVN-TV and as a reporter at WCPX-TV (now WKMG-TV) in Orlando. In Los Angeles, California, he was a correspondent for A Current Affair. He joined Fox News at its inception in 1996.
The St. Petersburg Times reported that Smith was arrested in Florida on November 17, 2000 for aggravated battery with a motor vehicle.[3] The alleged victim was Maureen Walsh, another reporter. Both were in Florida covering the Florida election crisis during the 2000 United States presidential election. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, on July 20, 2001, the charge "was reduced to misdemeanor battery" and dismissed "after both sides agreed to a confidential payoff" in June 2001.[4]
In 2001, Smith was one of the media witnesses to the execution of Timothy McVeigh in Terre Haute, Indiana. Smith appeared as himself in the film Volcano. Video of Smith anchoring on Fox News Channel during the opening moments of the March 2003 invasion of Iraq was used in the documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11.
In late August 2005, Smith went to New Orleans, Louisiana to report on Hurricane Katrina for the Fox News Channel. He spent a little over a week in the French Quarter area of the city and faced the wrath of the storm on August 29.
In 2002, Smith accidentally used the slang sex term blow job during a broadcast of his nightly FOX Report, causing himself considerable embarrassment. He'd reportedly meant to refer to pop star Jennifer Lopez's neighbors as "more likely to give her a curb job than a block party," but misspoke during the last part. Smith immediately apologized to his viewers, and FOX executives indicated their belief that it was an innocent mistake.
The Fox Report with Shepard Smith remains the top-rated newscast in cable news and is ranked third in the top programs in cable news.[5] Shepard Smith tied for second (along with Dan Rather and Peter Jennings) most trusted news anchor on both network and cable news in a 2003 TV Guide poll.[6]
On November 19, 2007, The New York Times reported that Smith had signed a three-year contract giving him between US$7 and 8 million. This contract places Smith into the same pay league as anchors Brian Williams of NBC and Charles Gibson of ABC.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Diggs, Mitchell. "Fox News Anchor Shepard Smith to Deliver Commencement Address May 10", University of Mississippi Newsdesk, 2008-05-01. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
- ^ Sheff, David (June 2006). "Playboy Interview: Shepard Smith". Playboy 53 (6): pp. 53-58,152-154.
- ^ Oppel, Shelby. "National TV anchor is accused of battery", St. Petersburg Times Online, 2000-11-18. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
- ^ "Charge against news anchor dismissed", Tallahassee Democrat, 2001-07-20. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
- ^ Meet the Hosts of FOX News. XMRadio.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
- ^ "Poll ranks NBC's Brokaw most trusted news anchor", USA Today, 2003-04-02. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
- ^ Carter, Bill. "Fox Cable Guy Edges Into the Big Pay Leagues", The New York Times, 2007-11-19. Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
