New anchor will join Nancy Cox on LEX 18’s weeknight newscasts
Larry Smith, a former CNN sports journalist and correspondent with a background in local news, will join Nancy Cox as co-anchor for weeknight newscasts on WLEX beginning in December, the Lexington television station announced Tuesday.
Smith replaces Kevin Christopher, who retired in August after 20 years anchoring at LEX 18.
Smith and Cox will co-anchor LEX 18’s nightly news programs at 5, 6 and 11 p.m.
Anchor assignments for Evening Edition at 7 p.m. will be announced soon, said LEX’s Dave Medley.
Viewers might recognize Smith from CNN and HLN. At CNN, he covered major sporting events including the Olympics, Super Bowls and NCAA Final Four games. He’s also worked as a freelance studio host for Turner Sports.
Smith has worked at local news stations in Knoxville, West Palm Beach, Fla., Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. Most recently, he was anchor of the morning news and 5 p.m. newscasts at WJLA in Washington.
“Larry brings an impressive resume to Lexington, having anchored at both the local and network level,” said WLEX News Director Brian Neal. “He made an immediate connection with our newsroom and looks forward to making that same connection with our viewers. We are thrilled to have someone of his caliber and experience covering stories that matter to Central Kentuckians.”
Cox said she and Smith quickly developed a friendship and “see eye-to-eye about how to best serve our Kentucky viewers.”
“He has a passion for serving the community as a trusted, reliable source for information, which is especially important in these troubling times,” she said.
Smith is a native of Mattoon, Ill. He and his wife, Rita, have been married for 26 years, and they have two children.
He said he’s looking forward to becoming a part of the community here, and he’s excited to get started at WLEX.
“There is a professional grace, passion, and commitment that is shared among the leadership and team members at LEX 18 and that combination is hard to find in media outlets today,” Smith said in the release. “I’m excited to join this winning group and looking forward to becoming a part of the Lexington community.”
Since Christopher’s retirement, several LEX 18 journalists have filled the anchor chair, including Cox, Dia Davidson and Angie Beavin.
