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Ray Martin (television presenter)

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Ray Martin
AM
Martin in 2013
Born
Raymond George Grace

(1944-12-20)20 December 1944(age 79)
Richmond, New South Wales,Australia
EducationUniversity of Sydney
Occupation(s)Journalist, television presenter
Years active1965–present
EmployerNine Network
Known forFour Corners
This Day Tonight
Midday with Ray Martin(1985–1993)
Ray Martin Presents
Up Close and Personal
The Ray Martin Show
60 Minutes
Carols by Candlelight(1990–2007)
A Current Affair(1994–1998; 2003–2005)
AwardsGold Logie Award(1987; 1993–1996) for his role onMiddayandA Current Affair

Raymond George MartinAM(néGrace,20 December 1944) is an Australian television journalist and entertainment personality. Having won theGold Logiefive times, he is the most awarded star of Australian television, along withGraham Kennedy(although Kennedy won the 'Star of the Year Award', the forerunner of the Gold Logie in 1959).

He is best known for his various on-air roles onChannel Ninefrom 1978, particularly his stint onA Current Affairand his long tenure as host of the variety/talk showThe Midday Show,after original hostMike Walshleft as host of a similar midday format withThe Mike Walsh Show.In 2011, he returned to the current affairs show60 Minutes,in which he had been an original presenter, albeit only in a part-time capacity.[1]

Early life and education[edit]

He was bornRaymond George Graceinto anIrish-Australian Catholicfamily[2][3]inRichmond,New South Wales, Australia. He was the youngest of four children and their only son.[2]His mother changed the family surname toMartinto prevent herabusive,alcoholic husband from finding her and their children after they fled from him in c. 1955.[2]She and the children moved many times, settling inAdelaideand inTasmania.[2]In the early 1990s, he found out that his great-great-grandmother was anIndigenous Australianwoman from theKamilaroination, nearGunnedah.[4][5]

He attendedLaunceston Collegeand theUniversity of Sydney,where he studied engineering on scholarship at university, but changed his mind and studied to become an English and history teacher. He graduated with aBachelor of Artsin 1967.[2]

Media career[edit]

Martin began working forAustralian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC) in Sydney as a cadet in 1965.[6]He was appointed the ABC's New York City correspondent in 1969.[2]Over the next 10 years his coverage included race riots, anti-Vietnam Warprotests,Olympic Gamesand presidential elections for news and current affairs television and radio, fromFour CornersandThis Day Tonightto science and religion programs.

In 1978, he joined theNine Networkto launch60 Minutes,along with reportersGeorge NegusandIan Leslie.

From 1985 to 1993, he presented the daily variety showMidday with Ray Martinand hosted top-rating specials such asRay Martin Presents,Up Close and PersonalandThe Ray Martin Show,interviewing entertainment celebrities includingTom Cruise,Nicole Kidman,Robin Williams,Elton John,Jim Carrey,Michael Douglas,Billy Crystal,Jodie Foster,Michael Crawford,Paul Hogan,Russell CroweandMadonna.[citation needed]

He hostedA Current Affairfrom 1994 to 1998 and went on to present three series –Our Century,The Great DebatesandSimply the Best– before returning to60 Minutesto do special reports. In 2003 he resumed as host ofA Current Affair.It was announced in December 2005 that he would become the Nine Network's Senior Reporter.[citation needed]This quashed much speculation that he would return toFour Cornersat the ABC, as the fluctuating ratings forA Current Affairhad decreased.[citation needed]Over the past few years he has assisted in reporting with some major events including the Indonesiantsunami disasterin 2005. FormerToday Showco-hostTracy Grimshawreplaced Martin onACAat the beginning of 2006. He was then a senior correspondent for Channel Nine.[citation needed]

He has also hosted diverse television events, from theLogie Awards,Commonwealth Games,World Cup Cricket,1988 Bicentenary Spectacularand Federal and State Election nights to the aftermath of the11 September terrorist attacks.From 16 September 2007, Martin took over as co-host ofSunday,replacingRoss Greenwood.

Martin left the Nine Network in February 2008, allegedly due to differences with management over budget cuts and a timeslot change for theSundayprogram.[7]

On 28 March 2008, it was announced that Martin would lead the official broadcast of theWorld Youth Dayevent in Sydney from 15 to 20 July 2008.[citation needed]

In October 2008, Martin criticised the Nine Network and other commercial television operations during an address at the annualAndrew Olle Media Lecture.The subject of Martin's criticism was an alleged "dumbing down" of journalism and news coverage.[8][9]

Since 2014, Martin has been the presenter for theSBSseriesFirst Contact.In 2015, he featured on the SBS Australian version of the popular international franchise genealogy television documentary seriesWho Do You Think You Are?. In 2017, he hostedLook Me In The Eye.

In 2016 and 2017, Martin presented three primetime specials for the regional networkPrime7focusing on major social issues impacting their viewing areas:Ice: The Scourge of Regional Australia,Dark Secrets: Australia's Hidden Shame,andIt Won't Happen To Me.[10][11]

In August 2018, Martin was announced as a presenter on theNine Network'snew travel seriesHelloworld,which aired on 7 October 2018.[12]

In 2020, during the first AustralianCOVID-19lockdowns, Martin presented the ABC comedy seriesAt Home Alone Together,a satire of lifestyle television with a pandemic theme.

Controversy[edit]

Incident with John Safran[edit]

In 1998,John Safran,an Australian documentarian and media personality, created a television pilot calledJohn 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 confronted him in the tabloid style characteristic ofA Current Affairand its peers. Martin was in contact with theABCand 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 onMedia Watchon ABC[13]and onEnough Rope.[14]Safran went through Martin's garbage and took Shane Paxton (a formerA Current Affairstory subject) in his effort to engage Martin.

Awards[edit]

Organization Award Year Awarded for Results
Logie Awards Gold LogieX5 Annual recipient 1987, 1993, 1994,1995, 1996 3× forMidday
2× Host ofA Current Affair 		Won
Logie Awards Silver Logie Award Won
People's Choice Awards Won
Variety, the Children's Charity Entertainment award Won
Mo Award Entertainment honour Won
Queensland Media Awards Media personality Won

National honours[edit]

Martin was appointed aMember of the Order of Australia(AM) in the2010 Australia Day Honours"for service to the community through voluntary roles with charitable, Indigenous, health and sporting organisations, and to the media as a television journalist."[15][16]

Martin was awarded theCentenary Medalon 1 January 2001.[17]

In 2018, Martin was honoured with a special collection of post stamps issued byAustralia Post,with his portrait featured on the stamp, as part of the legends of television series.[18]

Martin was also honoured with a star on Caloundra Walk of Stars in early 2007.

Personal life[edit]

Martin is married to Dianne Martin, with whom he has two children.[3]

Although his parents separated, they never divorced owing to a huge stigma regarding divorce.[2]His father died in the mid-1980s.[2]

Political views[edit]

Martin is a republican and has called for a change in theAustralian flagto reflect the nation's increasing multicultural identity.[19]

During the2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum,Martin supported the "Yes" vote. At a Yes campaign event in Sydney's inner west, he took issue with the No Campaign's slogan "If You Don't Know, Vote No." At the event, Martin said "what that asinine slogan is saying is if you're a dinosaur or a dickhead who can't be bothered reading, then vote no."[20]

Interests[edit]

Martin is a supporter and current board member of theSouth Sydney RabbitohsNRLteam.

He was Chairman of theAustralian Indigenous Education Foundation(AIEF), was Chairman ofThe Fred Hollows Foundationand has supported children's services atRoyal North Shore Hospital.From 1991 to 2000, he was a full-term member of theCouncil for Aboriginal Reconciliation.[21]As of November 2020he is an Ambassador for the AIEF.[22]

He is a Brand Tasmania Ambassador.[23]

For more than 30 years, the children's charity the Humpty Dumpty Foundation has enjoyed support from Martin.[24]

Books[edit]

As author[edit]

Forewords[edit]

  • Martin, Ray (1990). Foreword.How to Puzzle a Python.ByWalker, Max.Magenta Press.ISBN0-908081-36-7.[25][26]

Philanthropy[edit]

Martin has been a Patron of the Humpty Dumpty Foundationsince 1990to raise awareness of the Foundation and the work it provides for sick children in hospitals across Australia. Martin hosts many of Humpty's events as well as being involved in trips across Australia to meet with medical professionals, young hospital patients and their families.[27]Ray is also involved in TheGood Egg Magazine,which celebrates the work of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

One of Martin's oldest colleagues wasFred Hollows,and, through their friendship, Martin became a distinguished ambassador and chairman for The Fred Hollows Foundation. Martin utilized his career in journalism to help raise awareness for the internationalnon-profit organization.[28]The Fred Hollows Foundation educates surgeons on how to treat avoidable blindness within underserved communities and countries. Specifically, they work within theAboriginalandTorres Strait Islandercommunities of Indigenous Australia.[28]

References[edit]

  1. ^Door opens again for Ray Martin at 60 Minutes | TV Tonight 10 November 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2013Archived4 March 2016 at theWayback Machine
  2. ^abcdefghArthur, Chrissy; with Richard Feidler."Ray Martin's autobiography" (includes audio and video)Archived11 January 2016 at theWayback Machine,ABC, 22 December 2009.
  3. ^abKelly, Fran.Ray Martin: Stories of My Life Interview (Part 1)onYouTube,Radio National Breakfast,ABC, 2009.
  4. ^Galvin, Nick."In First Contact, Ray Martin explores his Aboriginal ancestry and passion for photography"Archived2 October 2016 at theWayback Machine,Sydney Morning Herald,7 November 2014.
  5. ^"Ray Martin, Talking Heads, first screened 16/08/2010, ABC"Archived11 January 2016 at theWayback Machine,ABC,Talking Heads,16 August 2010.
  6. ^Author HighlightsArchived14 February 2012 at theWayback Machine,Melbourne University Publishing
  7. ^Idato, Michael."End of an era as Ray quits Nine"Archived3 March 2016 at theWayback Machine,The Age,7 February 2008.
  8. ^Ray Martin Slams Nine's Journalism[dead link],Streem,18 October 2008.
  9. ^Martin, Ray.Ray Martin Slams Commercial TV News (Andrew Olle Lecture)Archived20 August 2011 at theWayback Machine,ABC, 30 October 2008.
  10. ^"Host and Presenter".Prime7.Prime Media Group.Archived fromthe originalon 13 March 2018.Retrieved11 November2020.
  11. ^Mediaweek (17 November 2017)."Ray Martin returning to Prime7 for news special It Won't Happen To Me".Mediaweek.Retrieved11 November2020.
  12. ^"IT'S SHOWTIME! Helloworld The TV Show: Coming soon to Channel Nine".karryon.com.au.31 August 2018.Retrieved11 October2018.
  13. ^"Media Watch Stories in 1999".Media Watch.Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  14. ^"ABC Enough Rope with Andrew Denton – John Safran".Enough Rope.Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  15. ^"Ray Martin AM".Australian Honours Database.Retrieved26 January2010.
  16. ^Member (AM) – M-Z – in the General Division of the Order of AustraliaArchived2016-03-04 at theWayback Machine,www.gg.gov.au
  17. ^"Ray Martin".Australian Honours Database.Retrieved26 January2010.
  18. ^James Manning (19 January 2018)."New Australia Post stamps feature Ding Dong, KAK, Ray Martin, Daryl Somers and Bert".Mediaweek.Retrieved3 August2022.
  19. ^"Ray Martin leads push for new flag"Archived29 January 2010 at theWayback Machine,AAP,Sydney Morning Herald,25 January 2010.
  20. ^"Ray Martin defends 'divisive' comment on Voice to parliament speech | A Current Affair".YouTube.
  21. ^Ray Martin profileArchived6 September 2013 at theWayback Machineat Platinum Speakers & Entertainers
  22. ^"Ambassadors – About".Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.Retrieved4 November2020.
  23. ^Hanson, Roger (4 July 2016)."Martin a familiar face for Tassie".The Mercury.Retrieved4 November2020.
  24. ^"Ray Martin | Humpty Dumpty Foundation".
  25. ^"How to puzzle a python / Max Walker".Retrieved28 September2016– via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^Walker, Max (2007).How to Puzzle a Python.Tangle Press.ISBN9780975791134.Retrieved21 January2018.
  27. ^"Ray Martin | Humpty Dumpty Foundation".Retrieved14 February2023.
  28. ^ab"Ray Martin, Journalist | First chairman of Fred Hollows".The Fred Hollows Foundation.Retrieved28 July2020.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Martin_(television_presenter)&oldid=1231307813"