Tom Brokaw once said that a news anchor is "someone who puts on makeup and reads outloud." The concept of a celebrity in television news dates back to the 1950s.
On a national level, Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley became icons, recognized by virtually everyone. It took longer for local news people to become lionized, but since the 1970s, the local newscaster has gained a high recognition level.Since the late '70s, women have become prominenet as co-anchors with men at 5, 6, 10 and 11 p.m. in most local news markets.
With an increasing dependence by the public on TV news in 15-minute or 30-minute segments, local anchorwomen have become celebrities in their own right.
What we know about them, however, is often confined to superficiality -- appearance and the ability to read news on camera.
Going more in-depth, the Deseret News presents the following five personal profiles of the major anchorwomen now presenting the news in Salt Lake City.
Next week, similar articles will profile the city's five major anchormen.
Michelle King, Ch. 2 KUTV-TV
Carole Mikita, Ch. 5 KSL-TV
Kimberly Perkins, Ch. 4 KTVX-TV
Ruth Todd, Ch. 5 KSL-TV
Hope Woodside, Ch. 13 KSTU-TV