Lexington, KY - During WKYT’s October staff meeting today, Wayne Martin announced that he will retire as a regional vice president of Gray Television, Inc. and president and general manager of WKYT, effective January 1.
“I have been extremely fortunate to spend 20 years in the field of education and the past 25 years in television broadcasting,” said Martin. “There are so many wonderful people I have had the privilege to work with. I want to express my appreciation for Garvice Kincaid’s vision in establishing WKYT, for Ralph Gabbard giving me the opportunity to work in television, and say thanks to Bob Prather, J. Mack Robinson and Gray Television for these past 18 years. WKYT and Gray Television properties have provided valuable services to those in our viewing areas, and I am proud to have been a small part of that. I feel truly blessed and thankful to so many people over the years.”
Martin has served as president and general manager of WKYT since 1993. Before entering broadcasting, he had a successful career as a college and high school basketball coach. Throughout his career, Martin has been active in civic and community affairs, having served in many leadership positions while doing so.
“Wayne Martin has led WKYT through a period of tremendous growth during his tenure as general manager,” said Gray Television Chief Operating Officer Bob Prather. “Wayne represents the best of what we expect out of our managers, being an excellent professional manager and devoted to his community and his station. We want all of our television stations to be part of the fabric of the community, and Wayne has clearly made sure that WKYT is an important part of the fabric of the Lexington market viewing area.”
Under Martin’s leadership, WKYT expanded to produce more than 42 hours of news programming each week, in addition to specialty programming. In 2011, he along with the station was honored with an Emmy for station excellence from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences marking the first time a Lexington television station was ever honored in the category.
Biography
Wayne Martin is regional vice president-television for Gray Television, Inc., president of Gray Kentucky Television, Inc., which operates WKYT-TV, Lexington, Kentucky, WYMT-TV, Hazard, Kentucky, and WBKO-TV, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and president of WVLT-TV, Knoxville, Tennessee. He has served as president and general manager of WKYT-TV since 1993. Prior to that, he was the station’s vice president and general sales manager. Martin began his career in broadcast television management at WYMT, where he was successively general sales manager and general manager during a span of three years.
Before entering broadcasting, Martin had a successful career as a college and high school basketball coach. As head coach at Morehead State University from 1978-1987, he led the Eagles to two NCAA tournaments. As head coach and athletic director at Pikeville College, Martin’s teams made three national tournament appearances. He also served as assistant basketball coach at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., and head basketball coach and business teacher at Pikeville (Kentucky) High School.
Martin is active in civic and community affairs, having served in leadership positions such as chairman of both the Kentucky and the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerces, chairman of the Lexington Area Sports Authority, chairman of the Lexington Center Corporation, vice chairman of the Morehead State University Board of Regents, president of the Kentucky Broadcaster’s Association, chairman of both the United Way Board of Directors and the annual campaign, and chairman of the Children’s Advocacy Center Board of Directors . He is currently chairman of the Governor’s Scholars Foundation and board member of Central Bancshares, Central Baptist Hospital, Kentucky-American Water Company, Morehead State University, and American Heart Association.
The Winchester, Kentucky native is an honors graduate of Morehead State University with a bachelor’s degree in business, a masters in education, and Rank I Administrative Certification. He is married to the former Kathy Goins, a Frankfort, Kentucky native and has three sons, Chris, Matthew, and Michael and two grandsons, Will and Lane.