Martin Devlin
Martin Devlin is one of New Zealand’s leading sports broadcasters and columnists.
Martin hosts his own sports radio show, was a regular panellist on "Game of Two Halves" and in 2010 hosted TVNZ's coverage of the Football World Cup in South Africa and in 2011 was named Sports Broadcaster of the Year.
The father-of-two-boys is a radio veteran and the current Sports Broadcaster of the Year. He has won the coveted title six times and took the trophy earlier this year (2011) for his work with respected sport journalist/author, John Matheson on Radio Live. Martin's now back on morning radio and 6am starts. He's teamed up with TV3's Hilary Barry as the news and sport combo reading morning bulletins for Marcus Lush on Radio Live in this all important year of the Rugby World Cup. Devlin dabbles in television too and won much acclaim for hosting TV One’s 2010 FIFA World Cup Coverage last year. Over 3 million people tuned into the month long event, TVNZ’s Head of Television Jeff Latch credited Martin for playing a part in its success, “Martin’s passion for the game was infectious and viewers loved the enthusiasm and humour he brought to our coverage”.
Martin has had a long association with TV One, he was Matthew Ridge's team mate and side-kick on the high rating and long running show Game of Two Halves up against Marc Ellis and Mike King. He also had a short stint on Dancing with the Stars in 2008 and achieved his goal of not being voted off first. He did an adequate Waltz, an OK Tango, an appalling Rumba before he thanked the ref and waved to the crowd when he was voted off at the end of episode three.
Despite being a luddite he manages to blog about sport several times a week for tvnz.co.nz as well as writing regular columns for The Truth and Rugby World Magazine.
However, Devlin's first love is radio. It's an affair that began in the late 1980s after graduating from the Broadcasting School in Christchurch. He started his first radio job writing ads in Auckland and was talked into moving to Taranaki by a young private radio entrepreneur named Steven Joyce. The Massey graduate studied zoology but left the lab behind when he too fell in love with radio and started Energy FM. These days Steven Joyce is more familiar to us as the Transport Minister in the Key Government but Martin reckons he will still have a thing for the wireless.
After five years on-air in the 'Naki, Steven chose Martin to launch a new station called The Edge with Jay-Jay Feeney. And then in early 1998, he was offered his dream job and had the privilege to work with one of the country's most respected and talented sports journalists on a ground-breaking, radical radio format. Devlin and Brendan Telfer became the morning tag team and spear-headed the successful transition from the quiet summer cricket commentaries on Sports Round-Up to the full noise of full-time "sport and only sport" on Radio Sport.
The 25 year radio veteran describes it as a very rare and real privilege to have been part of the broadcast teams that have brought listeners so many memorable and significant sporting moments. So it may come as a surprise to learn that the most memorable radio moment for him personally had nothing to do with sport. It came during an interview with David Lange’s brother, Peter on Radio Live in 2005 when Martin was humbled to discover the former Prime Minister used to listen to his show.
Testimonials:
“I used to sit with David quite a few nights right through the night. Come 6 o’clock in the morning, the hospital would start to wake up a bit and David’s first request was for the radio, ‘Could I listen to Martin Devlin?’ That was his first request every morning”. Peter Lange, August 2005
"Thanks for your email and the great work at the Coaching Convention. A very enjoyable night." Peter Miskimmin, Sport NZ
"Just wanted to say a huge thank you for a great job over the weekend.... we have had nothing but very positive comments from guests and you keeping things moving, interacting with the players and just keeping our boxes alive, was awesome and well worth it! Keep the spot open for next year!!!" Megan Baker-Smith, ATEED (for 1st Auckland Nines event)