- Ray Martin (television presenter)
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Ray Martin Born Raymond George Grace
20 December 1944
Richmond, New South Wales, AustraliaOccupation Journalist, television presenter Spouse(s) Dianne Martin Years active 1969 – present Raymond George "Ray" Martin AM (born 20 December 1944, in Richmond, New South Wales) is an Australian television journalist. He is best known for his various on-air roles on Channel Nine from 1978 to 2008. In 2011 he returned to 60 Minutes.
Contents
Television career
Martin was appointed the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)’s North American correspondent in 1969. Over the next 10 years his coverage included race riots, anti-Vietnam War protests, Olympic Games and presidential elections for news and current affairs television and radio, from Four Corners and This Day Tonight to science and religion programs.
In 1978 he joined the Nine Network to launch 60 Minutes, along with reporters George Negus and Ian Leslie.
From 1985 to 1993 he presented the daily variety show Midday with Ray Martin and hosted top-rating specials such as Ray Martin Presents, Up Close and Personal and The Ray Martin Show, interviewing entertainment celebrities including Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams, Elton John, Bobbysocks!, Michael Crawford, Russell Crowe and Madonna.
He hosted A Current Affair from 1994 to 1998 and went on to present three series – Our Century, The Great Debates and Simply the Best – before returning to 60 Minutes to do special reports. In 2003 he resumed as host of A Current Affair. It was announced in December 2005 that he would become the Nine Network's Senior Reporter. This quashed much speculation that he would return to Four Corners at the ABC, as the fluctuating ratings for A Current Affair had decreased. Over the past few years he has assisted in reporting with some major events including the Indonesian tsunami disaster in 2005. Former Today Show co-host Tracy Grimshaw replaced Martin on ACA at the beginning of 2006. He was then a senior correspondent for Channel Nine. He has also hosted diverse television events, from the Logie Awards, Commonwealth Games, World Cup Cricket, 1988 Bicentenary Spectacular and Federal and State Election nights to the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. From 16 September 2007, Martin took over as co-host of Sunday replacing Ross Greenwood.
Martin left the Nine Network in February 2008, allegedly due to differences with management over budget cuts and a time slot change for the Sunday program.[1]
On 28 March 2008 it was announced that Martin would lead the official broadcast of the World Youth Day event in Sydney from 15 to 20 July 2008.
In October 2008, Martin criticised the Nine Network and other commercial television operations during an address at the annual Andrew Olle Media Lecture. The subject of Martin's criticism was an alleged "dumbing down" of journalism and news coverage.[2]
Martin is an admitted republican and has called for a change in the Australian flag to reflect the nation's increasing multicultural identity.[3] He is a supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL team.
Ray Martin is also Chairman of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
Incident with John Safran
John Safran, an Australian documentarian and media personality, created a pilot called John Safran: Media Tycoon which was focused on the media industry. It became infamous for a segment where Safran turned up to Martin's house and harassed him in the tabloid style characteristic of A Current Affair and its peers. Martin was in contact with the ABC and specifically warned Safran in the segment that he had spoken to Roger Grant, the then Head of Corporate Affairs at the ABC. The segment was later played on Media Watch on ABC[4] and on Enough Rope.[5] Safran went through Martin's garbage and took Shane Paxton (a former A Current Affair story subject) to embarrass Martin.
Awards and honours
Martin has received five Gold Logie Awards for the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, Australia’s most popular television award. He received his first at the Logie Awards of 1987 as host of Midday, then he received four in a row at the Logie Awards of 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996; the first two were as host of Midday and the last two as host of A Current Affair. He has also received Silver Logies, People’s Choice Awards, Variety, Mo and Queensland Entertainer awards.
Martin was awarded a star on Caloundra's Walk of Stars in early 2007.
Martin was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2010 for service to the community through voluntary roles with charitable, Indigenous, health and sporting organisations, and to the media as a television journalist.[6]
Martin was awarded the Centenary Medal on 1 January 2001.[7]
References
- ^ Michael Idato, The Age, 7 February 2008, http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ray-martin-quits-nine/2008/02/07/1202234056301.html
- ^ streem.com.au, "Streem", 18 October 2008, http://www.streem.com.au/entertainment/6971-ray-martin-slams-nines-journalism
- ^ http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/3aw-generic-blog/ray-martin-leads-push-for-new-flag/20100125-mt05.html
- ^ "Media Watch Stories in 1999". http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s65785.htm.
- ^ "ABC Enough Rope with Andrew Denton - John Safran". http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s892185.htm.
- ^ "Ray Martin AM". Australian Honours Database. http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1141800&search_type=quick&showInd=true. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
- ^ "Ray Martin". Australian Honours Database. http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1126854&search_type=quick&showInd=true. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
External links
- Ray Martin biography and information
- Ray Martin at the Internet Movie Database
- Streem/Ray Martin on the Nine Network's state of journalism
Awards and achievements Preceded by
Daryl Somers
for Hey Hey It's SaturdayGold Logie Award
Most Popular Personality on Australian Television
1987
for MiddaySucceeded by
Kylie Minogue
for NeighboursPreceded by
Jana Wendt
for A Current AffairGold Logie Award
Most Popular Personality on Australian Television
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
for MiddaySucceeded by
Lisa McCune
for Blue HeelersHosts of the Logie Awards Hugh O'Brien (1960) · Gerald Lyons (1962) · Gerald Lyons (1965) · Bert Newton (1967–1980) · Michael Parkinson (1981) · Bert Newton (1982) · Mike Willesee (1983) · Bert Newton (1984) · Greg Evans (1985) · Mike Willesee (1986) · Don Lane (1987) · Daryl Somers (1988) · Bert Newton (1989) · Mark Mitchell (1990) · Daryl Somers (1991) · Steve Vizard (1992) · Bert Newton (1993) · Ray Martin (1994) · Andrew Daddo and Noni Hazlehurst (1995) · Daryl Somers (1996–1998) · Andrew Denton (1999–2000) Shaun Micallef (2001) · Wendy Harmer (2002) · Eddie McGuire (2003–2004) · Eddie McGuire, Rove McManus and Andrew O'Keefe (2005) · Bert Newton, Ray Martin, Daryl Somers, Lisa McCune and Georgie Parker (2006) · Adam Hills, Dave Hughes and Fifi Box (2007) · Various hosts (2008) · Gretel Killeen (2009) · Bert Newton (2010) · Shane Bourne (2011)
A Current Affair presenters (since 1988) National/East Coast edition Jana Wendt (1988–1992) · Mike Willesee (1993) · Ray Martin (1994–1998, 2003–2005) · Mike Munro (1999–2002) · Tracy Grimshaw (2006–present)Adelaide edition Georgina McGuinness (2002) · Kate Collins (2008–2009)Perth edition Louise Momber (2008–2009)Categories:- 1944 births
- Living people
- People from New South Wales
- Australian republicans
- Australian autobiographers
- Australian television presenters
- Australian television journalists
- University of Sydney alumni
- Gold Logie winners
- Australian Roman Catholics
- Members of the Order of Australia
- Recipients of the Centenary Medal
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