Mart Grol
News reader, presenting journalist and chairman of the day
Mart Grol, the presenter who refuses to blindly recite other people's scripts. From school newspaper via Omroep Gelderland and Omroep Brabant to Hart van Nederland, Radio 538, Qmusic and JOE — always with the same conviction: a story only works when people understand why it matters. Live is where he loves to be. Because live is alive. Switching between topics, improvising, responding on the spot and, if possible, cracking a joke with Grol. Millions of Dutch people start their day with his voice and face. He brings that same approach to his work as chairperson, presenter and conversation leader. He prefers to be involved early, thinks along about content, tone and structure, and builds together with you a program that comes to life.
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Biography
From school newspaper to national broadcaster
It started with the school newspaper and became serious at Fontys University of Applied Sciences for Journalism in Tilburg. Then followed Omroep Gelderland and Omroep Brabant, where Mart developed into a presenter who not only carries the broadcast, but also thinks along about form and content. That regional training proved to be the best preparation for everything that came after.
Presenting journalist at Hart van Nederland
Since 2021, Mart has been presenting the morning editions of Hart van Nederland on SBS6. He arrives at the studio around half past three in the morning, selects the topics together with the editorial team, and writes his own presentation scripts. He dislikes the term 'newsreader' – anyone who simply reads someone else's texts can be heard. In 2023, he also appeared as an expert on GoedNieuws Vandaag.
Live is where it lives
From January 2022 to June 2023, Mart was the regular newsreader of De 538 Ochtend with Wietze de Jager and Klaas van der Eerden. Since 2023, he has been heard daily on Qmusic and JOE. Radio sharpened what he finds most enjoyable about the profession: the unpredictability, the quick thinking, the ability to react to what's happening at that moment.
Building alongside, not just presenting
As a host, presenter and moderator, Mart prefers to work together from the first program meeting onwards. Which speakers, which sequence, which tone, where is the real story? Not only the face and the voice matter, but contributing to the best way to convey a story—whether that's to dozens of people in a room or millions on the couch.
Expertise
Chairmanship of the day
A day of talking to each other is the easy part. The work lies in the preparation: understanding what the client wants to achieve, knowing what each speaker will deliver and determining where the programme should peak. On the day itself, Mart controls the pace, manages overruns and ensures that the red thread remains visible from opening to closing.
Interviews and Conversation Leadership
A good stage conversation doesn't happen by accident. Mart prepares himself journalistically, asks the question the audience has in mind, and dares to dig deeper when an answer remains vague. At the same time, he puts people who rarely stand on a stage at ease, so that their story really comes across.
Stories that land
Conveying information is not the same as moving people. Mart thinks along about sequence, tone and imagery: what do you tell first, what do you hold back, where can silence fall? That translation from facts to story makes the difference between a programme people sit through and one they talk about afterwards.
Voice and image beyond the stage
In addition to live work, Mart can be deployed as a voice-over artist, explainer video presenter, and podcast host. Handy when a congress or campaign needs to extend its reach online: the same voice, the same tone, from the venue to the aftermovie.
Themes
Media and Journalism
How news is made, what choices an editorial team makes and why one story lands while another doesn't. From inside the studio, not from the sidelines.
News and Current Affairs
Congresses and meetings where today's conversation takes center stage. Mart brings journalistic sharpness and the reflex to dig deeper when things get interesting.
Human Stories
Meetings where personal storytelling takes center stage. Mart knows how to put someone at ease on a podium and how to tell a story that resonates without becoming sensational.
Good causes and development work
Programs in which a mission must be conveyed to donors, volunteers or partners. Mart helps make the message concrete without losing the passion.
Social and personal themes
Gatherings on topics such as bullying, LGBTQI+ and coming out, divorced parents, grief and loss, or long-distance relationships. Topics that require vulnerability from speakers and audience alike, and a chairperson who handles this with care.
Why Mart
Live experience you cannot practice
Years of daily live broadcasts on television and radio have taught him to switch gears when schedules fall through, a speaker runs over, or technical issues arise. Precisely the moment when a chairman of the day proves his worth.
A face and voice people know
Millions of Dutch people see or hear him daily on Hart van Nederland, Qmusic and JOE. That recognisability gives your programme instant authority and a warm welcome in the hall.
Journalistic sharpness
He writes his own material and doesn't enter the studio until he fully understands the content. That means asking tough questions on stage, even when it would be easier to avoid the answer.
At home with heavy subjects
Grief, bullying, identity: Mart doesn't shy away from sensitive topics and knows how to address them without overwhelming a speaker or audience.
He thinks along from the start
Mart prefers to be at the table from the very first meeting. To discuss the program, speaker order and tone. You're not hiring a presenter who shows up at the dress rehearsal, but someone who co-creates the format.
Humor that keeps the room awake
To the point, light and at the right moment. A joke with Grol takes the tension out of it without diminishing the subject.
Photos
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