Leighton Smith (radio host)

Leighton Smith (born 13 December 1946) is an Australian-born award-winning former talkback radio host based in Auckland, 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.[1][2]

Leighton Smith
Born (1946-12-13) 13 December 1946
Australia
NationalityNew Zealand
OccupationRadio host
Years active1980-2018

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.[3] 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.[3]

Smith won Best Talk Back Host or Hosts - All Markets at the 2013 New Zealand Radio Awards.[4] In October 2018 he was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for his contribution to New Zealand entertainment.

In a 2007 interview with libertarian magazine the Free Radical, he described himself as somewhat libertarian.[5] He released his book Beyond the Microphone at the end of 2013.[6]

Smith has expressed disbelief in anthropogenic climate change. He has no scientific qualifications.[7]


He used to own the Clevedon Hills vineyard, near Auckland.

Smith recently published his 200th The Leighton Smith Podcast.

References
  1. Newstalk ZB Presenter page Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Leighton Smith on love, luck and not looking back". Newstalk ZB. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  3. "There's something about: Leighton Smith, broadcaster". The New Zealand Herald. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Ryder, Susan (March–April 2007). "Newstalk ZB's Leighton Smith: What Makes Him Tick?" (PDF). Free Radical. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  6. "A host with the most".
  7. "Climate minimisation still has a foothold in media". Retrieved 5 March 2023.
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