Gail Smith (journalist)

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

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

Her broadcasting career started in 1978, as a television news reporter, producer and news anchor for BCTV in Vancouver, British Columbia. Smith moved to Toronto, Ontario, and joined CFTO in February 1982 as a television news reporter. 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.

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

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

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