Allen (Al) L. Martin Jr. has joined public broadcasting station WKAR as its new sports producer and host.
He will host the daily call-in program “SportsTalk/870” on WKAR Radio, contribute to WKAR Radio’s daily talk show, “Current State,” and bring his sports expertise to other projects at WKAR Radio and Television.
Prior to becoming part of WKAR, Martin was a sports reporter at WLNS-TV/6 in Lansing, Michigan, where he anchored sports twice daily. He received a 2013 Michigan Association of Broadcasters Award for the sports program, “The 5th Quarter.”
Pamela Whitten, Dean of the College of Communication Arts & Sciences, is delighted with the hiring of Al Martin. "Al has the charisma and passion for sports journalism that makes him the perfect successor to Earle Robinson, whose 39 years hosting WKAR SportsTalk, set the stage for the next generation of sports broadcasting for WKAR," according to Whitten. "As icing on the cake, Al earned his journalism degree from Michigan State so we know he has an excellent education."
Martin graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the College of Communication Arts & Sciences. In addition to an internship at WLNS, he also did sports production internships with the Big Ten Network and HOMTV. He served as sports announcer for Michigan State’s 2012 men’s baseball team and was honored as “Big Ten Student U Sports Cameraman of the Year” for the 2010-11 season.
Martin lives in East Lansing, Michigan. During his university years was involved with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Greenpeace and March of Dimes.