Gator Country

Award-winning newspaperman and radio-TV journalist Buddy Martin has been named as the executive editor of Gator Country Magazine and GatorCountry.com, as well as executive producer of The Gator Country Radio Show.

Gator Country owner and publisher Raymond Hines III said Martin would begin immediately supervising all media in what he called “a new era and a new direction for Gator Country.”

Martin, who began writing a column for GatorCountry.com and Gator Country Magazine last year, has resigned his position as associate editor of the Charlotte Sun, where he previously also served as managing editor and editor. He will devote his full energy and time to the new undertaking, which he characterized as “one of the most exciting opportunities I’ve had in my more than forty years as a journalist.”

“With the expansion of Gator Country into radio and our future plans to expand into television, it became apparent to us that we needed Buddy Martin to usher us into this exciting new era of multi-media.” said Hines. “Buddy brings experience and know-how plus he is one of the most respected sports journalists in the country. We believe that bringing Buddy Martin into the fold at Gator Country is a win-win situation --- a win for us and a win for our loyal subscribers.”

“I am extremely excited to be teaming up with Gator Country and working with someone like Ray Hines, who has always been on the cutting edge of media,” said Martin, a former Emmy winner at CBS, author of seven books and sports editor at five newspapers. “I have known Ray Hines for more than a decade and have admired how he has taken his media company to new heights to meet the challenge of today’s modern communications world. I’m also fortunate to be working with my friend Franz Beard (managing editor), a real pro whom I have known for more than 30 years.”

Martin is a Florida-born-and-raised journalist who grew up in the shadow of “The Swamp” and has known and interviewed every Florida football coach of the past fifty years. Schooled in journalism at the University of Florida, Martin is well-known as friend and confidant of many of the pivotal figures in UF sports history over the past five decades.

Buddy recently completed his fourth book on Gator football, “Urban’s Way,” the authorized biography of Florida’s football coach which will be released by St. Martin’s Press in September.

The son of a newspaperman, Martin has won more than 150 awards during his journalism career, which includes sports editorships at the Ocala Star-Banner, Florida Today, The St. Petersburg Times, the New York Daily News, and The Denver Post. He is also a former New York City columnist for Gannett News Service.

Among the awards Buddy has received is an Emmy in 1992 as an associate producer of The NFL Today show on CBS for his work with Terry Bradshaw, whose autobiography he also penned.

“Buddy Martin’s sports report” is heard every Friday on Denver talk radio and Buddy is also a frequent contributor to shows in Naples and Tampa-St. Petersburg.

Buddy is also co-creator and associate director of the Sports Journalism Summit, held annually at the Poynter Media Institute in St. Petersburg. He and his longtime wife, Joni, and dog, Rinny, reside in Ocala, the birthplace of Buddy, his oldest daughter, Lori, and his late father, Wilton.

Buddy and Joni have two daughters, Rebecca Simmons of Reading, Pa. and Lori Gregory of Manhattan Beach, Calif; son Brenden, who will be residing in Ocala soon; and two grandchildren.

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