Leighton Smith (born 13 December 1946) is an

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n-born award-winning former

talkback radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

host based in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, New Zealand. Until December 2018, he presented the 8:30 am to midday slot from Monday to Friday on commercial talk radio network

Newstalk ZB Newstalk ZB is a nationwide New Zealand talk radio, talk-radio network operated by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, NZME Radio. It is available in almost every media market, radio market area in New Zealand, and has news reporters based in m ...

. Smith started his broadcasting career on Sydney's SCH as a "junior disco jockey". He moved to New Zealand for a one-year stint with 2ZB in Wellington in 1980, but stayed for five years. After a brief stint on a radio in Adelaide, Smith returned to Auckland in 1985, presenting on 1ZB, soon renamed Newstalk ZB. He remained in the 8:30am to midday timeslot until his retirement in 2018. Smith won Best Talk Back Host or Hosts - All Markets at the 2013 New Zealand Radio Awards. In October 2018 he was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and show business club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand enterta ...

for his contribution to New Zealand entertainment. In a 2007 interview with libertarian magazine the ''Free Radical'', he described himself as somewhat libertarian. He released his book ''Beyond the Microphone'' at the end of 2013. Smith has expressed disbelief in anthropogenic climate change. He has no scientific qualifications. He used to own the Clevedon Hills vineyard, near Auckland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Leighton New Zealand broadcasters Living people 1946 births Leighton Smith Show