Shepard Smith
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| Born: | January 14, 1964 Holly Springs, Mississippi, United States |
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| Occupation: | Host of Studio B & The Fox Report (Fox News Channel) |
Shepard Smith (born David Shepard Smith, Jr. on January 14, 1964 in Holly Springs, Mississippi) 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 7:00 p.m. ET weekday newscast on Fox News Radio, also titled The Fox Report.
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[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, he was a correspondent for A Current Affair. He joined Fox News at its inception in 1996.
In 2001, Smith was one of the media witnesses to the execution of Timothy McVeigh in Terre Haute, Indiana. He reported on the death and funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. 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 for several hours during its worst moments in the city on August 29. At first, the broadcasts from the New Orleans's streets were choppy since they only had a video phone, but later improved a little with the arrival of a rain-soaked video camera. Smith was seen wearing casual clothing, such as a backwards baseball cap and heavy rain gear, which contrasts his regular suit and tie look. During the aftermath of storm and its flooding, Smith reported from Interstate 10 about the grim state of the city. He worked to bring awareness to the fact that people were out on the highway for several days without food and water. His most memorable appearance during this period was an energetic exchange with Sean Hannity during Hannity & Colmes. Smith, broadcasting from New Orleans, had just explained to the hosts the dire predicament of residents, some trapped on Interstate 10, while Geraldo Rivera reported on tragic conditions in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
In late September 2005, he headed to Port Arthur, Texas to do another report on Hurricane Rita. During coverage of Rita in Texas, Smith was seen wearing—and losing—several different baseball caps and being tossed down by the extreme winds.
The Fox Report with Shepard Smith remains the top-rated newscast in cable news, for fifty-nine months and counting as of September 2006 [citation needed], and is ranked third in the top programs in cable news.[1] Smith is currently the longest-running news anchor for an evening broadcast of this format and style on both cable and 'the big three' network news. Shepard Smith was voted the second most trusted news anchor on both network and cable news by the readers of TV Guide.
Roger Ailes denied rumors that Fox News channel may introduce an evening newscast anchored by Smith to compete with ABC, NBC and CBS evening news shows.[2] There has also been the suggestion that The Fox Report with Shepard Smith could move to Fox network affiliates in January 2007.
On Monday, September 5, 2005, Smith appeared on the The Late Show with David Letterman to discuss the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Smith has also been a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Smith appeared as himself in the film Volcano. Video of Smith anchoring on Fox News Channel during the opening moments of the March 2003, U.S. led, Iraq invasion was used in the documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11.
[edit] Education
Smith attended the University of Mississippi. He majored in Journalism but left a few credits shy of graduation requirements. He frequently returns to the university during football season.
Smith previously attended Marshall Academy, a private K-12 school in Holly Springs.
[edit] Personal life
Smith was married from 1987 to 1994.[citation needed] He chooses to not comment on his political views or his personal life. When asked in the June 2006 issue of Playboy, "What's your life like outside of work?", Smith replied, "I don't talk about it. I don't talk religion. I don't talk politics and I don't talk sex. Other than that, we're good to go." Playboy then asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?", Smith replied, "I don't talk about those things. I won't tell you what church I go to or whether I go." [3]
[edit] Controversies
[edit] Battery
The St Petersburg Times reported that Smith was arrested in Florida on November 17, 2000 for aggravated battery with a motor vehicle.[4] 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.[5]
[edit] Verbal slip
On November 4, 2002, Smith accidentally invoked the slang sex term blow job during a live broadcast of his nightly Fox Report, causing himself considerable embarrassment. He was trying to say that pop star Jennifer Lopez's neighbors were "more likely to give her a curb job than a block party," but misspoke, stopping just short of saying the entire expression: "...more likely to give her a curb job than a blow jo-, er, bl-, block party." Smith immediately apologized to his viewers,[6] and Fox executives indicated their belief that it was an innocent mistake.
The video of the verbal slip was shown when Smith was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 13 May 2003. Smith appeared bemused to have gained notoriety for such a mistake.
[edit] References
- ^ Meet the Hosts of FOX News. XMRadio.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
- ^ Toby, Mekeisha Madden. "Evening news doesn't pay, says Fox chief", The Detroit News, 2006-07-27. Retrieved on 2006-11-11.
- ^ Sheff, David (June 2006). "Playboy Interview: Shepard Smith". Playboy 53 (6): 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.
- ^ Reiter, Amy. "Trading places", Salon.com, 2002-11-12. Retrieved on 2006-11-09.
