Martine Dennis
Encyclopedia
Martine Dennis is an experienced and well known BBC
news anchor. She has been one of the main news presenters of the BBC World News for many years. Ethnically black, she is currently the BBC World News main presenter in the slot 5:00 to 8:00 a.m.GMT on Friday, and 6:00 a.m. to 12 noon GMT on Saturday and Sundays.
to Caribbean/Mauritian parents.She studied English and American Studies from 1979-82 at Keele University in England.
- Five Years after Independence documentary.Also she covered the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Nassau, the Bahamas in 1985 interviewing Rajiv Gandhi
, Mrs Thatcher and Edward Seaga.
Later she joined BBC World Service
Radio at the United Nations, New York in 1985, covering the Iran
and Iraq
war and interviewing many world leaders.
In 1987 she became a presenter-producer for Focus on Africa, the BBC African Service, based at Bush House in London and in 1989 Martine became a presenter, reporter and producer at Sky News
, London. She was an overnight news presenter until 1991 when she went to South Africa. In South Africa she freelanced for BBC World Service
, covering South Africa's first democratic election.
In 1994 she became the presenter of Carte Blanche, South Africa's top weekly current affairs feature programme. In 1995, Martine returned to London to work on current affairs programmes, including Correspondent.
when it was launched in September 2001. She has been the main presenter of The World Today (BBC News at 0500 GMT) since then (as of 2011). She also fronts BBC World News on various time slots. During her long broadcasting career she has presented a wide range of stories.
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...
news anchor. She has been one of the main news presenters of the BBC World News for many years. Ethnically black, she is currently the BBC World News main presenter in the slot 5:00 to 8:00 a.m.GMT on Friday, and 6:00 a.m. to 12 noon GMT on Saturday and Sundays.
Early life and education
Martine Dennis was born on 29 January 1961 in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Caribbean/Mauritian parents.She studied English and American Studies from 1979-82 at Keele University in England.
Broadcasting career
Martine started her broadcasting career as a graduate trainee at LBC/IRN in London in 1983.There she did parliamentary reporting and made radio documentaries notably ZimbabweZimbabwe
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...
- Five Years after Independence documentary.Also she covered the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Nassau, the Bahamas in 1985 interviewing Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
, Mrs Thatcher and Edward Seaga.
Later she joined BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
Radio at the United Nations, New York in 1985, covering the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
war and interviewing many world leaders.
In 1987 she became a presenter-producer for Focus on Africa, the BBC African Service, based at Bush House in London and in 1989 Martine became a presenter, reporter and producer at 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...
, London. She was an overnight news presenter until 1991 when she went to South Africa. In South Africa she freelanced for BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
, covering South Africa's first democratic election.
In 1994 she became the presenter of Carte Blanche, South Africa's top weekly current affairs feature programme. In 1995, Martine returned to London to work on current affairs programmes, including Correspondent.
Career at the BBC
When Martine Dennis came back from South Africa in 1995, she worked briefly as a correspondent for BBC1’s Here and Now weekly programme. Later she became a main presenter of BBC World News and has been there ever since. She presented the first edition of The World Today with Tanya BeckettTanya Beckett
Tanya Louise Beckett is an English television and radio journalist.-Education:Beckett was educated at the independent Redland High School for Girls in the city of Bristol, England, followed by Pembroke College at the University of Oxford, where she gained a degree in Metallurgy and a Blue in...
when it was launched in September 2001. She has been the main presenter of The World Today (BBC News at 0500 GMT) since then (as of 2011). She also fronts BBC World News on various time slots. During her long broadcasting career she has presented a wide range of stories.