10-21-2009 BLC EXCLUSIVE CYNTHIA SMITH DISCUSSES ON-AIR REUNION WITH PHIL WITT Last Friday Cynthia Smith reunited on-air with former WDAF-FOX4 co-anchor Phil Witt for the first time in 17 years to help the station celebrate its 60th Anniversary (Link to story). Smith, who left the station in 1992, is currently the CEO of Sunflower House, a child abuse prevention agency. For most people the thought of returning to anchoring after a nearly two-decade layoff would be terrifying. That certainly was not the case for Smith, who seemed completely at ease doing the 6 and 10 p.m. news with her former co-worker in what was called the "Dream Team." "She did a remarkable job and it was like Phil and her had not lost a step," said FOX4 anchor John Holt. "It really was fascinating to see how well they clicked after all that time." Smith was not surprised at how the two meshed. "Phil and I have always had amazing chemistry, and since we have remained good friends over the years, it was very comfortable,"she told Bottom Line. "You have to give a lot of credit to station management for letting me do it after 17 years." Was she nervous at all? "I was a little nervous about wearing new contact lenses, but I was not nervous about the anchoring. I have always had a comfort level in front of the camera that I can't explain. Maybe it's in my DNA." Smith joked that when she was born there was a picture of a baby in front of a microphone on her birth announcement. "The caption read "There's a new voice on the air." Freaky isn't it?" she says. Aside from the normal excitement of the station's anniversary and her reuniting with Witt, going on the air again had special meaning to her because her son could see his mom delivering the news for the first time. "I think the best thing was that my 20 year old son finally got to see what his Mom did for so many years," she says. "I left WDAF when he was only three years old so I could have a normal schedule, be home at night and attend his school activities. "I worked with so many men who missed years of their kids activities because of the crazy hours," she adds. "As much as I loved my job, it just wasn't something I could do. "It was time well spent. He is a great kid."
10-21-2009 PETITION "I think we need to start a petition to get WDAF to hire Cynthia Smith to replace Shelli Lockhart. It was so refreshing to see someone giving the news that wasn’t 20 years old ! "There are few newscasters these days that have the comfort level and can deliver the news like Cynthia Smith. WDAF should start a new trend in town…. And have someone who can really perform!" ----- Fran White
PETITION II "I agree with Fran White!I would certainly sign a petition that FOX4 hire Cynthia Smith to replace Shelli Lockhart!!It was wonderful seeing her in action again. ---Rhonda Hutton
10-23-2009 PETITION DRIVE? "Is there a “Cynthia Smith” petition? I would sign one to bring her back as long as it did not name who she was replacing. It would become about Shelli Lockhart then. This needs to be a positive effort.
"I’m in on this."
Robert D. Berlin
1-660-826-6046 P.O. Box 408
Sedalia, MO 65302
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