Richard Bacon, Kristin Smith To Host ‘Top 30’

Richard Bacon (BBC Radio 5 Live) and Kristin Smith (Fox O&O KSAZ Phoenix) will host Top 30, debuting Sept. 11 after a preview on Fox Television Stations last summer.  

In making the announcement today, Stephen Brown, FTS EVP of programming and development, said: “In the last year, we’ve seen a marked rise in the importance of news in various media. Every day, we hope to provide stories that resonate with our audience in an emotional and intellectual way.”

Top 30 is a daily news program featuring the top 30 stories of the day covering topics ranging from current events to world news, trending human interest stories, sports and entertainment. The program is designed to reflect the way viewers get their news, through apps, newsfeeds, newspapers and television. Affiliates will have the opportunity to provide 90-second local news updates, integrating that station’s news offerings into the program. 

In addition, Fox Business Network will provide a 60-second business update from the floor of the stock exchange each day, anchored by Nicole Petallides. 

Top 30’s format offers 12 segments, each averaging two minutes and most commercial pods lasting 30 seconds. “Throughout commercial breaks, the viewer remains connected to the show as the ads play in an onscreen show-branded player with a 30-second or 60-second timer,” according to FTS.

Host Richard Bacon is a broadcaster and host of the daily current affairs program, BBC Radio 5 Live. He has also co-anchored major news stories for ABC News and BBC1 and spent time as host of The Big Breakfast, Top of the Pops and BBC 6 Music and Drive Time on Capital FM and XFM.  

Kristin Smith is a newscaster who, most recently, anchored KSAZ’s Fox 10 Arizona Morning” and Fox 10 News at Noon. She also hosted a weekly “Mommy Lifestyle Expert” segment on Hallmark’s Home & Family show. Smith had previously hosted Tribune’s The Morning Show in Miami, and began her career as a morning anchor for KYMA Yuma, Ariz.

Top 30 is produced by Dino Bones Productions for Fox Television Stations and distributed by Twentieth Television. Marc Victor is executive producer.