TVNZ Oral History Project - Interview with Marama Martin

Marama Martin is interviewed by Jim Sullivan about her broadcasting career between 1950 - 1975, for the 1985 TVNZ Oral History Project. She recalls her radio and television career as an announcer in New Plymouth and Wellington.

While initially working as a teacher, her career in broadcasting began in 1958 in New Plymouth. She worked as a contract radio announcer in the evenings, weekends, and school holidays. She did this for two years before taking it on full time.

She speaks about attitudes towards women broadcasters, and also about being Māori.

She moved to Wellington in 1965 and began working in television with WNTV1. She speaks about 'continuity' in television, and also about presenting the weather.

There are various anecdotes about her work in both radio and television, characters she worked with, bloopers, and personal highlights. Other topics covered include broadcast technology, the advent of colour television [in 1973], training, and the programme 'Beauty and the Beast' [a discussion panel show that answered viewers' letters, it ran from 1976-1985].

The interview was recorded on 18 February 1985 in Wellington.