My changing voice 11 March 2005 at 6:37PM in Martin's Blogs & Appearances & MoneySavingExpert in the News 11 replies 3.6K views

MSE_Martin

Having just discovered some old files, I thought it would be amusing to compile a wee note on 'how m'voice's changed'. As a broadcaster you use different tones for different things. Once I had a BBC reporters voice, it took a long time to get it.

The Start

When I went to do my broadcasting postgraduate, quite deliberately they knocked all the individual style out of me so i could become a reporter. It took a few years but i got there. In the mid-stage while working on TV I did something similar to what i do now (see the gallery to view how far this went!) , yet that channel went belly up and i had to go back to reporting on the side to keep my income coming in.

By the time i was reporting for BBC1 (in 2001) as you can see here (go to the real player file)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1421754.stm

Then a slight improvement here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1745000/video/_1746723_aol05_lewis_vi.ram

At this stage I was in the homogenised world of the TV business/personal finance reporter, a long way away from my natural style. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with this, when you are a reporter you are there representing the channel not yourself. However, it wasn't ever what I wanted to do.

The Start of the Change

Slowly I managed to build my Money Saving Expert broadcast work and was reverting to my natural style. At this point i was doing some freelance reporting for radio 4's Moneybox (again its the real player file)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/2099270.stm

As you can hear the style there is somewhere between what i do now and the BBC style. At this stage I was really trying to break out of the box and become me again - and it was a half way house.

Now

Well as you'll know, now i talk fast and don't disguise the passion i have for my subject. Once deemed unprofessional, now i generally work outside the news sections, i am allowed to be myself. I hope it comes across better that way, it has its faults, but you know its what i believe.

The other big advantage is these days when i am interviewed for news, I can do it on behalf of the site, which means I can be myself, not a 'reporter'.

You can listen to the Money Mutterings in the tip or on radio 2 back copies or on the various TV and radio shows i've got coming up to see the way i work now (if you don't know).

Anyway I hope you've enjoyed me sharing this wee bit of reminiscing.

Just thought as i found these old files you may enjoy them

Martin

vanoonoo

awww. martin in a suit in 2001. bless. you sounded very handsome martin

Malestrom

I prefer now to then, definitely. At least now you sound like an individual rather than a clone.

faz_2

You heard me! The stills on the gallery page are simply not enough -- You big tease!!

I'd completely forgotten about those until you so kindly reminded us all.

Don't keep us waiting too long...

Faz

P.S. Most definitely sound better now btw.

craigweston

Hi Martin,

I agree, your current style is far better. In fact is was they way you came across, so animated and passionate and about not being ripped of that prompted me to look you up on the net and got me to this forum.

JasonW_2

I saw Martin on watchdog a coupe of years ago and immediately though, aye here we go another "expert" spouting rubbish, who does he think he is? That was, until you spoke and I realised you made sense and what you said was so obvious and simple, with clear language that I found this site but never posted. After the forum change, I joined up, bought the book and have changed every area of my finances apart from my bank account, but Im working on that.

Turning_into_scrooge

vanoonoo wrote:

awww. martin in a suit in 2001. bless. you sounded very handsome martin

Only sounded? lol

Iffy_Wallet

yet that channel went belly up

That reminds me of another channel that went belly up, run by Adam Faith when he was still alive (Bless him) - the Money Channel - that was really excellent when shares actually had some life in them and you could make money. Come on Martin, take a 500k loan out (financed on a few 0 percent credit cards) and relaunch the old Money Channel !!

Talking of Martins voice, I caught the end of J. Vine's prog. on Radio 2 today - and Martin seems to talk with a higher pitch the faster he talks ! By the way Martin, that clip of an 8 year old supervising her mum's unexpected pregnancy/delivery - was this a money saving tip for the NHS (using unpaid midwives) ?!! And what scandal was written on Blair's notes that he left on the desk?

robnye

would you buy a second hand car from this chap in 2001..........???

MSE_Martin

I have Blairs notes in front of me now...... and ..... it ........ says

Well not much actually just some notes about the callers - but hey.

As for the Money Channel - I was Simply Money - the opposition and we were all about personal finance not shares. There was one simple problem, the founders had forgotten to work out 'how will it make money' and aimed to flog it in the dot-com boom at a big profit, then the market went phut.

Iffy_Wallet

Well that's a pity Martin. Never mind. I guess that the next big boom is people moving money into property and/or investments in Europe. We'll have to think of some great idea of how to make some money out of that - with or without a tv station. (But I guess that websites are a lot cheaper than tv stations to run !)