Mark Austin (journalist)

Mark Austin
Born	Mark William Austin 1 November 1958 (1958-11-01) (age 53) London, United Kingdom
Occupation	Journalist
Spouse(s)	Catherine Austin
Children	3
Ethnicity	White
Notable credit(s)	Winner of International Emmy Award Presenter of Real Crime Presenter of Survivor Co-presenter of ITV Evening News and ITV News at Ten

Mark Austin (born 1 November 1958) is a British journalist.

Austin is currently employed by ITN where he presents on ITV News for ITV News at Ten and since joining in 1986 he has specialised in covering foreign events.

Early career

Austin started his career in the media as a general reporter on the Bournemouth Daily Echo (1976–1980). He then joined the BBC as a newsroom writer, becoming a general news reporter in 1982. He was made a sports reporter in 1985.

Austin joined ITN, who produce the news for ITV, in October 1986 as Sports Correspondent. He was given his first assignment on day one - to cover England's successful Ashes tour of Australia as well as the America's Cup. He stayed in Australia for four months and during this time unexpectedly found himself reporting on the "Spycatcher" trial.

TV career

1990s

Austin has covered all the major sporting events for ITV News, including the Olympics, Wimbledon, the British Open, Rugby internationals, football news and cricket. In 1993, he won top prize in the Sports News category at the Royal Television Society Awards for his coverage of the drug scandal affecting three British sportsmen at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. In 1995, he was seconded to ITV to report from South Africa on the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Austin was one of the first British journalists to report from the Gulf during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. From the start of the war early in 1991, he was in Bahrain, the base for many of the Tornado squadrons, sending back regular reports including those on the recapture of the islands of Qaruh and Um-al-Maradin.

Austin was based in Hong Kong in 1993 as Asia Correspondent for ITV News. He returned there for his second tour as Asia Correspondent in 1996, spending over two years reporting, including the handover of the island to the Chinese in July 1997. He returned to London in mid-1998.

1994-1995 saw him in Johannesburg as Africa Correspondent for ITV News. Austin reported on the transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa, Nelson Mandela's election victory, and on the civil war in Rwanda. During 1995, he also covered the Bosnian crisis, following the fall of Srebrenica. His reporting won him a joint Gold Medal, with fellow-correspondent Paul Davies, at the 1996 Film & Television Festival of New York.

In 1999, Austin covered the War in Kosovo. Based on the Albanian border for much of the conflict, Austin reported on the refugee crisis caused by the war. On the day in June Nato troops finally entered Kosovo he was airlifted in with the Gurkhas, the first troops to enter the country, reporting on their role as mine clearers, and witnessing an early confrontation with Serb police. Austin's reporting of the war was part of ITV News' coverage which received a Gold Nymph at the 1999 Monte Carlo Television Festival.

2000s

In 2000, his reporting of the Mozambique floods received an International Emmy award in the US, as well as a Gold Nymph at the 2000 Television Festival of Monte Carlo, and Gold and Silver Medals at the New York Television Programming Awards.

In September 2001, he covered the terrorist attacks in New York and later reported on the War in Afghanistan. In 2001, he presented the first series of ITV reality series Survivor.

In 2003, Austin was promoted to ITV News' flagship news programme, the Evening News. In October 2006, Austin travelled to Beijing as part of a series of reports on China's economic growth. Austin had been to Beijing many times previously and covered the Tianmannen Square uprising in 1989.

In January 2007, he travelled to Antarctica to cover a series of reports about climate change. In September 2007, he travelled to Zimbabwe to report on economic problems.

Austin became chief presenter of ITV News when Trevor McDonald retired on 15 December 2005. He took up the role of presenting the flagship ITV News programme on 3 January 2006. Austin earns a reported £300,000 for reading ITV News.

Austin presents a new ITV prime-time crime programme alongside ex-news reader Sarah Heaney. Manhunt - Solving Britain's Crimes is a live 90 minute programme appealing to the public for information on the UK's most wanted criminals.

Austin participated on behalf of charity in the celebrity version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (first aired at Christmas 2005, repeated 4 September 2007 in the UK), he and Katie Derham won £32,000 for their chosen charities.

On 31 October 2007, ITV confirmed they would be resurrecting the News at Ten in 2008. Trevor McDonald would return as host with Sky News presenter Julie Etchingham co-anchoring the bulletin every night.^[1] News at Ten returned on 14 January 2008 with Mark standing in for Trevor in his absence.

In August 2008, Mark reported and presented for ITV News' Olympics: Beijing 2008 coverage. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bournemouth University in November 2008^[2].

On Thursday 30 October 2008, ITV confirmed Trevor McDonald was stepping down from News at Ten and Austin would replace him.^[3]

In January 2009, Austin reported and presented for ITV News' coverage of the Israeli/Gaza border bombing attacks.

It was announced in August 2009, that Austin would be replaced by Alastair Stewart on the ITV News at 6.30, in order for Austin to concentrate on his duties on News at Ten.

Austin is currently co-presenter of ITV News at Ten and presenter of Real Crime.

On 19 May, 2011, Austin presented the Chelsea F.C. Player of the Year Awards night.

References

1. ^ "News at Ten returns to ITV". itv.com. 31 October 2007. http://www.itv.com/news/articles/news-at-ten-returns-to-itv.html. Retrieved 2007-10-31. 
2. ^ http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/graduationceremony/honorary_graduates/2008.html
3. ^ Conlan, Tara (30 October 2008). "Sir Trevor McDonald to leave News at Ten next month". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/30/tvnews-itv. Retrieved 2008-10-30. 

External links

• Mark Austin at the Internet Movie Database
• Mark Austin on Twitter
• ITV News at itv.com

Preceded by Sir Trevor McDonald	ITV News anchorman Mark Austin 15 January 2006 –	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Sir Trevor McDonald	Male co-host of ITV News at Ten November 2008 –	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Dermot Murnaghan	Male co-host of ITV Evening News 2002 – 3 September 2009	Succeeded by Alastair Stewart

Persondata
Name	Austin, Mark
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1 November 1958
Place of birth	London, United Kingdom
Date of death
Place of death