Ashton Bishop

Ashton Bishop was selected to Co-Anchor WKPT-TV Evening News alongside Jim Bailey in December of 2013. The promotion allowed her to realize a childhood dream of anchoring the news which she formed watching Katie Couric anchor the Today Show. It was probably an apt career choice for a curious and talkative youngster who frequently brought home “does not stay in her seat” comments on her report cards.

Ashton graduated Gate City High School with honors in 2007, where she was an all state basketball and volleyball player. However it was her 11 State Championships in Track and Field that received Ashton a full scholarship to East Tennessee State University, where she earned a degree in Communications with an emphasis in Broadcasting.

 

She sought to continue her dream by earning an internship with WKPT-TV in the summer following her graduation from ETSU in 2011. Her work on several summer events such as her live reporting on the Kingsport Independence Day Parade and Funfest led to her addition to the staff the following year to produce and anchor the WKPT AM News Briefs. In August of that year she became the first reporter to be hired for the renewed WKPT-TV News which launched in March of 2013.

Among her notable assignments, coverage of presidential candidate Mitt Romney during his campaign swing through Southwest Virginia and an exclusive interview with Mackenzie Stephens who survived a vicious attack by her family’s dog. A personal story to Ashton because of her love for her own dog Tulsa.

While the affable athlete harbors an ambition to one day report sports for a major network she is happy to broadcast from the WKPT-TV News desk close her parents in Gate City and a younger sister, who plays volleyball for the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.