Ray Martin (television presenter)
Encyclopedia
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.
(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 Indonesia
n 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.
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.
Martin is an admitted republican and has called for a change in the Australian flag to reflect the nation's increasing multicultural identity. He is a supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs
NRL team.
Ray Martin is also Chairman of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
, 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 and on Enough Rope
. Safran went through Martin's garbage and took Shane Paxton (a former A Current Affair story subject) to embarrass Martin.
, 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.
Martin was awarded the Centenary Medal
on 1 January 2001.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 20 December 1944, in Richmond, New South Wales
Richmond, New South Wales
Richmond is a town in New South Wales, north-west of Sydney, in the Local Government Area of the City of Hawkesbury. It is located at a latitude of 33° 35' 54" South and a longitude of 150°45' 04" east, 19 metres above sea level on the alluvial Hawkesbury River flats, at the foot of the Blue...
) is an Australian television journalist. He is best known for his various on-air roles on Channel Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
from 1978 to 2008. In 2011 he returned to 60 Minutes.
Television career
Martin was appointed the Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC)’s North American correspondent in 1969. Over the next 10 years his coverage included race riots, anti-Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
protests, Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and presidential elections for news and current affairs television and radio, from Four Corners and This Day Tonight
This Day Tonight
This Day Tonight was an Australian Broadcasting Corporation current affairs program of the late 1960s and early 1970s.- Overview :...
to science and religion programs.
In 1978 he joined the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
to launch 60 Minutes, along with reporters George Negus
George Negus
George Edward Negus is an Australian author, journalist, and television presenter. He previously presented 6:30 with George Negus on Network Ten, until it was axed by the Network on 19 October 2011.-Education:...
and Ian Leslie
Ian Leslie
Ian Leslie OAM is an Australian television journalist and corporate communicator. He is best known for his 12 years as a member of the original team on 60 Minutes.-Biography:...
.
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
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
, Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
, Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Bobbysocks!, Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
, Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
.
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
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
'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 Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n tsunami disaster
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
in 2005. Former Today Show
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
co-host Tracy Grimshaw
Tracy Grimshaw
Tracy Grimshaw is an Australian journalist and television presenter. She is currently the host of A Current Affair, and was a co-host of Today for nine years.-Career:...
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
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
, 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.
On 28 March 2008 it was announced that Martin would lead the official broadcast of the World Youth Day
World Youth Day 2008
The 23rd World Youth Day 2008 was a Catholic youth festival that started on 15 July and continued until 20 July 2008 in Sydney, Australia. It was the first World Youth Day held in Australia and the first World Youth Day in Oceania. This meeting was decided by Pope Benedict XVI, during the Cologne...
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
Andrew Olle Media Lecture
The Andrew Olle Media Lecture was established in 1996 by the presenters and staff at 702 ABC Sydney to honour the memory of ABC Radio broadcaster Andrew Olle, who died in 1995 of a brain tumour.The Andrew Olle Lecturers have been:...
. The subject of Martin's criticism was an alleged "dumbing down" of journalism and news coverage.
Martin is an admitted republican and has called for a change in the Australian flag to reflect the nation's increasing multicultural identity. He is a supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
NRL team.
Ray Martin is also Chairman of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
Incident with John Safran
John SafranJohn Safran
John Safran is an Australian documentary maker and radio broadcaster, known for combining humour with explorations into religion and other issues...
, 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
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
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 and on Enough Rope
Enough Rope
Enough Rope with Andrew Denton is a television interview show originally broadcast on ABC Television in Australia...
. 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 TelevisionGold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television
The Gold Logie Award has been awarded annually to the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at the TV Week Logie Awards since 1960...
, Australia’s most popular television award. He received his first at the Logie Awards of 1987
Logie Awards of 1987
The 29th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Friday 3 April 1987 at the Hyatt on Collins in Melbourne and broadcast on the Ten Network...
as host of Midday, then he received four in a row at the Logie Awards of 1993
Logie Awards of 1993
The 35th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Friday 19 March 1993 at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne and broadcast on Network Ten. Bert Newton hosted the evening for the 18th time...
, 1994
Logie Awards of 1994
- Gold Logie :Most Popular Personality on Australian TelevisionPresented by Michael Crawford- Gold Logie :Most Popular Personality on Australian TelevisionPresented by Michael Crawford- Gold Logie :Most Popular Personality on Australian Television...
, 1995
Logie Awards of 1995
The 37th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Friday 28 April 1995 at the Concert Hall in Melbourne and broadcast on the Seven Network. Andrew Daddo from Cluedo, and Noni Hazelhurst from Better Homes And Gardens were the Master of Ceremonies for the evening...
and 1996
Logie Awards of 1996
The 38th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Sunday 21 April 1996 at Melbourne Park Centre and broadcast on the Nine Network. Daryl Somers from Hey Hey It's Saturday was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening...
; 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
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
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.
Martin was awarded the Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
on 1 January 2001.