Stephen Marney's Biography
Stephen’s approach to Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Media Engagement is as strategic and analytical, as it is innovative
Stephen Marney is a British broadcaster, journalist, presenter and strategic communications expert with a demonstrably strong background in international media and broadcast business development.
In 1988, Stephen was engaged as an integral part of the start-up team for SKY News, where he was a presenter/anchor and senior news producer. He had the opportunity to interview notable personalities including the Rt. Hon Margaret Thatcher, British PM of the day (Conservative) – the Hon, John Prescott, opposition Transport Secretary (Labour) and many more. He was presenting on-air for notable events such as the tragic sinking of the Marchioness Vessel in the River Thames, the horrific plight of refugees fleeing from East Timor and on the day that the Berlin Wall finally came down, reuniting Germany.
From SKY News, in 1991, he became the architect for the design and launch the word’s first Pan-European, Pan-Arab multi-satellite News channel in Arabic, MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Centre), broadcasting from London.
Some years later he was engaged once more by MBC to launch the Middle East’s first English language news operation, MBC2.
After consulting to BBC World for foreign language operations – and to ITN for special news programmes in London in the 1990’s, Stephen became Business Development Director for REUTERS continental Europe, where he designed and launched a series of REUTERS branded business programmes, in association with regional state broadcasters and the European Union.
Whilst in Australia, Stephen won several Broadcast Journalism awards for human interest and current affairs productions – such as a heart-warming story of a family who chose to live a life of isolation on their own island.
In Current Affairs, his report about toxic waste dumping in the centre of Australia, eventually changed Government policy on toxic waste disposal in Australia. He was a newsreader for Radio stations 5AD, 5KA and the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). In television, he was a reporter for ADS7 in Adelaide an anchor at TEN10 in Sydney and presenter of his own weekly programme, “Our State”.
In early 2000, Stephen’s broadcast business development expertise took him to the Middle East where he re-designed and re-launched the dual language Business Channel for Dubai Media. He was the architect of the region’s first live streaming and on-demand Business News video service for AME Info the region’s premier Business News resource – and designed, branded and launched CITY 7 TV the UAE’s first English language local news and entertainment channel.
Working with the CPA, coalition provisional authority, Washington DC, though a secondment to SAIC, the U.S based contractor, Stephen was appointed Managing Director for the Iraqi Media Network, Al Iraqiya, in Baghdad, where he was instrumental in regenerating news-lead media operations across Iraq after its devastation during the second conflict in that country.
In Turkey, Stephen redeveloped and re-launched an ailing multi-language, multi-platform privately owned business news channel 6NEWS – an ABC America affiliate, broadcasting from Istanbul.
Afghanistan was next, where he consulted on the development of a new business channel 1TV in Kabul, which was sadly thwarted by the continuing hostilities there. Before returning to the United kingdom, Stephen consulted to a number of other businesses, broadcasters and communications companies around the Middle East.
Latterly he served as Press Secretary to the pro-active Chairman of The Kimberley Process, which took him across much of Africa, liaising with various state government Presidents and leaders about their diamond mining and export operations, and reporting the findings to the world’s media.
From his London base, Stephen continues to consult to media, communications and business organisations around the world. As a presenter, he hosts, business round table meetings, award ceremonies, conducts media & presentation training for executives and remains an avid broadcaster with voice overs for documentaries, commercials and corporate presentations. Stephen is a graduate of RADA – The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.