Mark Austin
Encyclopedia
Mark Austin 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.
in Portsmouth and 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
.
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.
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. 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.
On Thursday 30 October 2008, ITV confirmed Trevor McDonald was stepping down from News at Ten and Austin would replace him.
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.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist.
Austin is currently employed by ITN where he presents on ITV News
ITV News
ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. Since 1955, ITV's news bulletins have been produced by Independent Television News . The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the...
for ITV News at Ten and since joining in 1986 he has specialised in covering foreign events.
Early career
Austin trained at Highbury CollegeHighbury College
Highbury College is a general further education college in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It provides vocational and academic education and training, from first-step courses to university level foundation degrees, specialised services for business and education in the community. The College is a...
in Portsmouth and started his career in the media as a general reporter on the Bournemouth Daily Echo
Bournemouth Daily Echo
The Bournemouth Daily Echo, commonly known as the Daily Echo, is a local newspaper that covers the area of south-east Dorset, England, including the towns of Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch...
(1976–1980). He then joined the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
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
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, in October 1986 as Sports Correspondent. He was given his first assignment on day one - to cover England's successful Ashes
The Ashes
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of the most celebrated rivalries in international cricket and dates back to 1882. It is currently played biennially, alternately in the United Kingdom and Australia. Cricket being a summer sport, and the venues...
tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as well as the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
. He stayed in Australia for four months and during this time unexpectedly found himself reporting on the "Spycatcher" trial
Spycatcher
Spycatcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer , is a book written by Peter Wright, former MI5 officer and Assistant Director, and co-author Paul Greengrass. It was published first in Australia...
.
1990s
Austin has covered all the major sporting events for ITV News, including the Olympics, Wimbledon, the British Open, RugbyRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
internationals, football news and cricket. In 1993, he won top prize in the Sports News category at the Royal Television Society Awards
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
for his coverage of the drug scandal affecting three British sportsmen at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. In 1995, he was seconded to ITV to report from South Africa on the 1995 Rugby World Cup
1995 Rugby World Cup
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....
.
Austin was one of the first British journalists to report from the Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. From the start of the war early in 1991, he was in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, 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
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
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
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
as Africa Correspondent for ITV News. Austin reported on the transition from apartheid to democracy in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Nelson Mandela's
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
election victory, and on the civil war in Rwanda
Rwandan Civil War
The Rwandan Civil War was a conflict within the Central African nation of Rwanda between the government of President Juvénal Habyarimana and the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front...
. During 1995, he also covered the Bosnian crisis
Bosnian crisis
The Bosnian Crisis of 1908–1909, also known as the Annexation crisis, or the First Balkan Crisis, erupted into public view when on 6 October 1908, Austria-Hungary announced the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Britain, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Germany and France...
, following the fall of Srebrenica
Srebrenica
Srebrenica is a town and municipality in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska. Srebrenica is a small mountain town, its main industry being salt mining and a nearby spa. During the Bosnian War, the town was the site of the July 1995 massacre,...
. 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
Law enforcement in Serbia
Law enforcement in Serbia is the primary responsibility of the Serbian Police, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The ministry is responsible for all local and national law enforcement services in Serbia...
. 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 MozambiqueMozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
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
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
and later reported on the War in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. In 2001, he presented the first series of ITV reality series Survivor
Survivor (UK TV series)
Survivor in the UK was broadcast by the ITV network. It hit screens in the United Kingdom in 2001, with huge promotion and hype from tabloid newspapers. The Grand Prize was £1,000,000....
.
In 2003, Austin was promoted to ITV News' flagship news programme, the Evening News. In October 2006, Austin travelled to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
as part of a series of reports on China's economic growth
Economy of the People's Republic of China
The People's Republic of China ranks since 2010 as the world's second largest economy after the United States. It has been the world's fastest-growing major economy, with consistent growth rates of around 10% over the past 30 years. China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of...
. 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
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. In September 2007, he travelled to Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
to report on economic problems.
Austin became chief presenter of ITV News when Trevor McDonald
Trevor McDonald
Sir Trevor McDonald OBE is a Trinidadian-British newsreader and journalist. He had a long career as a news presenter with ITN...
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
Sarah Heaney
- Life and career :She began her TV career with Live TV as a news reporter, then went on to front S2 Live on the now defunct SMG digital channel S2. The BBC approached Sarah but STV Central offered Sarah presenting work on the news programme, Scotland Today....
. Manhunt - Solving Britain's Crimes
Manhunt - Solving Britain's Crimes
Manhunt - Solving Britain's Crimes is a programme aired by ITV in the UK. It is very similar to the BBC's Crimewatch, which ran for 22 years prior to the first airing of Manhunt, on 4 December 2006. A second edition of the programme aired on 29 May 2007.Manhunt profiles 10 of the country's most...
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?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (UK game show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a British television quiz show which offers a maximum cash prize of one million pounds for correctly answering successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty...
(first aired at Christmas 2005, repeated 4 September 2007 in the UK), he and Katie Derham
Katie Derham
Katie Derham is a British newscaster and a presenter on television and radio.-Early life:Derham was born in Stockport to John and Margaret Derham, and grew up in Wilmslow...
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
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
presenter Julie Etchingham
Julie Etchingham
Julie Etchingham is an English television newsreader and journalist. She is currently co-presenter of ITV News at Ten and is the presenter of the current affairs programme Tonight, having replaced Sir Trevor McDonald....
co-anchoring the bulletin every night. 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
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University
Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK...
in November 2008.
On Thursday 30 October 2008, ITV confirmed Trevor McDonald was stepping down from News at Ten and Austin would replace him.
In January 2009, Austin reported and presented for ITV News' coverage of the Israeli/Gaza border bombing attacks
2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
The Gaza War, known as Operation Cast Lead in Israel and as the Gaza Massacre in the Arab world, was a three-week bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel, and hundreds of rocket attacks on south of Israel which...
.
It was announced in August 2009, that Austin would be replaced by Alastair Stewart
Alastair Stewart
Alastair James Stewart OBE is an English journalist and newscaster. Stewart is currently employed by ITN where he is a main newscaster for ITV News.-Early life:...
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
Real Crime
Real Crime is a British documentary television series produced by ITV Studios for the ITV network. Each episode examines a notorious crime and includes interviews with relatives of the victims. It has been broadcast since 2001 and is currently in its tenth series...
.
On 19 May, 2011, Austin presented the Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
Player of the Year Awards night.