Gail Smith (journalist)

For persons of a similar name, see Gail Smith (disambiguation).

Gail Smith (born September 4, 1955)[1][2] is a former Canadian television journalist and news anchor. From Trenton, Ontario,[3] Smith received her bachelor's degree in mathematics[2][3] from the University of Western Ontario[2] and a master's degree in journalism from Carleton University.[4]

Her broadcasting career started in 1978,[5] as a television news reporter,[2] producer[2] and news anchor[2][3][4][5][6][7] for BCTV in Vancouver, British Columbia.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Smith moved to Toronto, Ontario, and joined CFTO in February 1982[2] as a television news reporter.[2][4] Her career advancement at CFTO occurred at a time when the television news networks in Toronto competed to hire women as news anchors and attract larger audiences.[9][10]

On September 4, 1982,[11] Smith became the first female weekend news anchor at CFTO.[3][4] After the television ratings for the weekend news program climbed 55 per cent,[3] she became the station's first female late night news anchor on Night Beat News the following year.[4] On August 20, 1984,[12] she was the co-anchor of the early evening news program, World Beat News,[4][12][13] the station's top-ranked newscast at the time.[4][12]

After a decade-long career in television news,[5][7][14] which included six years in Toronto,[5][14] Smith resigned from CFTO.[5][6][7][14] Her final broadcast on World Beat News aired on October 21, 1988.[5][7][13] After an absence of nearly five years,[15] Smith returned to television briefly as an afternoon news anchor for CKVR in Barrie, Ontario,[15][16] on March 3, 1993.[15]

  1. ^ "Friends, Beagles, Countrymen ...". Globe and Mail. 27 March 1986. p. E11.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Zyvatkauskas, Betty (27 November 1982). "More than just a TV face that reads". Broadcast Week Magazine. p. 101.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Smith, Diane (28 May 1983). "Grace under pressure". Starweek Magazine. p. 63.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Hume, Christopher (19 November 1988). "Clearing the air". Starweek Magazine. p. 6.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Quill, Greg (26 October 1988). "TV anchor Gail Smith says it was time to move on". Toronto Star. p. E1.
  6. ^ a b c "Gail Smith quits Night Beat News". Toronto Star. 25 October 1988. p. B1.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Ex-BCTV anchor quits Toronto job". Vancouver Sun. 27 October 1988. p. D8.
  8. ^ Wilson, Peter (11 September 1981). "TV News". Vancouver Sun. p. L4. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  9. ^ McLean, Ross (3 September 1983). "Anchorwomen have looks and smarts but will they stand the test of time?". Globe and Mail. p. D10.
  10. ^ Taylor, Bill (2 March 1985). "News Wars". Starweek Magazine. pp. 4, 6.
  11. ^ Adilman, Sid (26 August 1982). "TV blurbs". Toronto Star. p. E6.
  12. ^ a b c Bawden, Jim (3 August 1984). "More news on local news overhauls". Toronto Star. p. C1.
  13. ^ a b "CFTO-DT". History of Canadian Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  14. ^ a b c "Smith leaves CFTO anchor desk". Globe and Mail. 25 October 1988. p. A27.
  15. ^ a b c Quill, Greg (28 February 1993). "Teens talking to Street Cents". Toronto Star. p. C6.
  16. ^ Christensen, Howard (April 1993). "People/Stations..." (PDF). Broadcast Technology. 18 (7): 13. Retrieved 7 March 2024.