Mark Warren was literally born into Australian Media when his father, Ray Rabbits Warren took his first radio gig at 2LF young, the toddler was crawling the studio floors. In 2010 Warrens ambition has not waned along a sometimes rocky road. He spoke to us during the lead up to Warren Medias 2009 charity Race Day at Hawkesbury Race Club raising much needed funds and awareness for the Schizophrenia Research Institute and the Black Dog Institute an outstanding effort with the help of Warrens close knit network of friends, client sponsorships, colleagues and media partners raising twenty nine thousand dollars after costs for his (Warrens) charities something that Warren is extremely proud, To have this corporate support from my clients has been breathtaking, to have media partners support the event to the extent they did, and to have close friends put their hands up has been inspiring to say the least, humbling really. To do an event with Dad and see his support is great, to have Phil Gould and my little mate Malcolm Johnston here to help us(Warren Media)along one of my heroes Ray Price come along to represent the Parramatta Rugby League Club is amazing! Above all to have the support of Mrs Judy Gibson, Life Governor of the Schizophrenia Research Institute, and her wonderful family who have come along here today to endorse my the cause makes me quite emotional really.
Warren now heads up Warren Media. An advertising agency in the making ever since being taught to sell media by Greg Hollywood Hartley back in 1991.Warren continues, Hollywood had a motto that he picked up off the late great Peter Bullfrog Moore, Bite off more than you can chew then chew like buggery. Warren continues I've always had a passion for the sales and creative side of the industry, I love to write. Now with help of my media contractors, we purchase media for our client, plan media for our client, plan media strategy for our client, write creative for our client, produce the media for our client. We have a print management arm to the business and a team of first class graphic designers. We also deliver specialist voice overs, we are available to consult and provide access to what Ive tagged the Warren Media Talent Bank, we are available to consult on Event Management, Promotions, Celebrity Guest Speakers. We also provide an MC/Auctioneer capacity,Id like to think were your one stop media shop.
And when it comes to his professional network, well, hes worked for the absolute best in the business. I grew up listening to Singo on 2KY and watching Saturday Night at the dogs, short lived, very funny (but thats a whole different story)I was about seven years old I reckon, greyhound racing, the thoroughbreds and the trots were on the menu every week, as was anything Dad could have a punt! I used to go in my PJs in the early days, anyway I digress , I was working with 2GB from 1999 through 2001 when out of nowhere John said, Singleton Ogilvy Mather would be in touch itll be good exposure son and then hung up!
In short John had designs for me as the voice for his mammoth Telstra Olympic Games account. People need to understand that commercial radio and television is just that. Think about it, these radio and television ads were on every radio station and television station nationally, a high frequency campaign over a good 8 week period. Amazing and award winning. I cant thank John enough really, hes tough on the outside but hes a softie underneath from my dealings with him, and his son Jack has been a magnificent support to me over the last 5 years, if I need professional advice hes there, in his own right a brilliant adman, creative genius plus a champion bloke into the bargain.
Mark Warrens goals have not changed since graduating AFTRS at 21 years of age (one of 12 students chosen from approximately 14 thousand applicants nationally) , to follow in his fathers footsteps but make his own footprints! From 2RG Griffith to 2GB(first time around) and on to 2KY.In 1991 Warren was hired by Channel Ten as broadcaster of the highly prestigious Commonwealth Bank Cup Schoolboy Rugby League Competition that was a platform for superstars over the decades with names like Alexander, Fittler, Elias, Sironen and Steven Price to name a few. The following year,1992, Warren was employed by the Nine Network (who had just purchased the rugby League television rights) to again head up the Schoolboy Competition. That same year, the Warrens became the first and only, father and son to broadcast Grand Finals on the same day. Mark continues, I had absolutely no idea, I was just running numbers, records and names over and over, last minute preparation and listening to Ken Sutcliffe through my headset when he threw to me with something like.... making history today the first father and son to call Grand Finals on the same day.... yeah the chest pumped up a little,!
Warren was also Australias first ever host of a National Television Boxing Show, the very popular SKY KO. I had a love of the sweet science since I was 5 or 6 watching black and white footage of Tony Mundine Senior and Muhammad Ali with my beautiful and extremely devout catholic Nanna, I became a boxing junkie and had some great times and professional experiences along the way. A stand out was being ring side with my father to see Fenech destroy Shatoshi Shingaki and in the process become world champion, to watch that story unfold was a magnificent experience. To travel with Kostya Tszyu and my mentor, Johnny Lewis OAM on eight occasions to the USA as a media correspondent for Austereo, 2KY and the Macquarie Radio Network are memories that will always live strong. To be centre ring on five occasions and introduce Tszyu into his place of business, to see the Baby Faced Assassin up close and personal with 30 thousand people chanting his name, WHOA, lets just say the hairs stand up everywhere. Warren Laughs, good memories.
In 1994, Warren was given an opportunity to audition via Mr Graham McNeice for the role as a host and commentator for the TEN Network at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria Vancouver , Canada. I can still remember vividly, we were pre packaging most of the boxing as highlights for TEN but then all that changed with the gloves of Queenslands, Robbie Pedan fighting for our first gold since 1978. Rick The Rock Timperi and I were calling from a broadcast centre about 30 minutes from the venue but pretending to be live, I can remember saying, welcome to the Archie Browning Sports Centre, its finals day at the boxing and if you look over my shoulder you can see the finals action has already started here (in real life what was over my shoulder was a large piece of bright green cardboard)and I remember going out live around Australia throwing to the action and calling those three frantic rounds with Mr Alan Bateman, writers, producers, directors, camera people, lighting people, drivers, kitchen staff and theyre going nuts outside our booth, so with that encouragement, The Rock and I went with it! Im not sure who had the most bruising ,our three time Olympian Timperi or a highly emotional Mark Warren. One of the best experiences of my life, Perkins smashed up the pool, a young lady called Freeman became a Superstar and our broadcast centre was a brilliant place to be.
Warrens biggest professional blow that would send him spiralling into what he describes as, a very dark period, came at the hands of then Nines Head of Sport,Mr Gary Burns prior to the 94 Rugby League season. I remember my ultra conservative mum thought I deserved something more concrete with the network, perhaps even a pay rise (Warren laughs)and when my ultra conservative mum says stuff like that then I knew I must be doing a half decent job. As soon as I walked in Burns said sit down, its not going to be a good day. In short, Burns said it had been decided that I was too much in my fathers mould. It was effectively the greatest professional compliment Ive ever received. Looking back, I was a young, not so tough, immature punk, trying earn a little respect (as opposed to the little kid that did it real tough as a kid and adolescent in the school yard and other places).And I have come to the realisation that I had nothing taken away, but rather I gave it all away. It took along while to comprehend that notion, but in time I have processed the whole reality.
A relationship break up and a very brief stay at WIN Television and the roller coaster ride continued. There were massive highs and terrible lows that kept Warren housebound literally and in the grip of a massive depression, where simple things like shaving, and eating, were marathon efforts. Makes me sweaty thinking about it, my palms just went clammy, never going back there, I wont look back unless it makes me smile. But professionals said I was coping with Post Traumatic Shock Syndrome brought on over quite a period of time, thats the stuff our Vietnam Vets came home with, in a way being diagnosed was a massive relief. Mark has had his ups and downs, family, private and business but lives by the motto of Joe Louis, the person who fights one more round is never beaten. Or perhaps as the great Johnny Lewis has offered up to many over the years, its not how we start its how we finish in sport, family or business alike its how we finish.
What is apparent is that Mark warren is open for business, ready for business. Dare we say all grown up!
I refuse to look back, only at stuff that makes me smile, Warren holds up a reference dated 1994 from another of his idols Ken Callander. Mark continued, Ken Calendar is something of a media paradox, the best in the business, and a true gentleman with true old school family values ,the man to me is a giant in many ways. Callander is quoted on that letter, As a broadcaster there no one promising in Australia, as an Master of Ceremonies he is already at the top of tree.
That makes me smile, because I know in 2010, just how far Ive come, how much better Ive become as a person, professional adman and a broadcaster.
