Mike Smith is known for a lengthy career as the Director of Engineering for the CBS Radio stations in San Francisco.
Smith was born into a military family in Oceanside, CA. After life on numerous Marine bases around the country, he wound up back in Oceanside and would receive a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology degree from Cal Poly Pomona.
Smith began his broadcasting career at Pomona station KWOW, where he served as a staff engineer and then chief engineer. He joined CBS in 1980, working at the storied Columbia Square broadcast complex in Los Angeles. Smith worked his way up the ladder at KNX and KNX-FM, becoming Supervisor of Engineering Maintenance.
His next CBS posting was in San Francisco, where he served as Director of Technical Operations/West Coast from 1990 to 1996. Smith would become CBS Radio San Francisco Director of Engineering in 1996 and hold that position until his 2020 retirement. This role saw him oversee engineering at KCBS/KFRC-FM, KITS-FM, KLLC-FM, KGMZ-FM, and KMVQ-FM.
Smith was awarded the 1989 Golden Mike Award by the Southern California Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) for KNX coverage of the 1989 Los Angeles Marathon. In 2025, he was inducted into the Cal Poly Pomona College of Engineering Alumni Hall of Fame.