Out of the box

What say you on the issue below?

This successful presenter of CNBC Asia’s Squawk Box has two book ideas in mind.

IN Martin Soong’s world, three Bs rule: broadcast journalism, business and books.

A veteran with some 20 years’ experience in broadcasting, Soong is synonymous with CNBC Asia, being one of its founding anchors. He is also credited with helping to establish the business news channel’s identity and development since 1993.

Martin Soong brings viewers up to speed with the latest developments in the business and financial world on Squawk Box.

Presently, the public know him as the face of Squawk Box, the network’s flagship morning programme in which he serves as a co-anchor. Aired on Mondays to Fridays, Squawk Box (available locally on Astro Channel 518) is a fast-paced show that “sets the news agenda in the region every Asian trading day,” as touted by the network.

One day, viewers may know the award-winning broadcaster with the sonorous voice as an author as well. The first book that Soong aims to write is about his late father, a fourth-generation Hawaiian Chinese – also a journalist – who was ahead of his time.

“My father was a journalist and later, a war correspondent. In the 1950s he started Asia Magazine, which was an insert in national newspapers in the States,” says the Chinese American who was born in Hong Kong but grew up in the United States.

“The magazine was the first product about the Asian community in the English language. You could say it was the Asian version of Life magazine.”

Soong’s planned book will, however, not contain much of what he remembers of his dad.

“He died when I was very young, so it would be less about memories of him, but more on stories about him,” the affable 50-year-old told me as we sat down for an interview at Traders Hotel in Kuala Lumpur last month.

The Singapore-based Soong was in town to bring Squawk Box on the road to Malaysia for the first time. During the live on-location broadcast of Squawk on the Road Malaysia (which premiered on Aug 21), the presenter spoke to prominent people in the country for a firsthand look at the overall business climate here.

Soong, a bachelor, has made Singapore his home since 1983. His siblings are scattered all over the world – his three brothers are in Singapore, America and Australia (Perth), while his only sister lives in Thailand (Bangkok). Their China-born mother, who used to reside in the island republic, passed away two years ago.

For someone who accidentally got into broadcast journalism, Soong has certainly found his corner in the world. With a twinkle in his eye, he told me there is a second book he would like to pen. “About the black market,” he smiled. “It goes by many names: black market, grey market, informal market. I would like to quantify it.

“In certain countries, experts believe the black market makes up a third of the real economy! I want to talk about whether it is worthwhile to make it official.”

Now, before you start squawking, don’t get him wrong.

“I am not talking about (making official) vice activities like prostitution, money laundering, organised crime and whatnot. I am talking about the two-bit hawkers and the night markets and many other ‘legal’ money-generating businesses that can be found in most countries. Watch this space,” urged Soong.

Given his vast experience and background in covering important events and speaking to leaders of nations and captains of industry, the seasoned journalist is qualified to comment and even write about it. Soong is also a regular speaker at major events including the World Economic Forum.

Media maven

Prior to stumbling upon broadcast journalism, the history graduate from Whitman College in Washington has dabbled in all manner of media – radio (as an announcer), newspaper, magazine. (He worked with The Business Times, the broadcasting station MediaCorp, The Straits Times and CNBC – all in Singapore – before relocating to Hong Kong to join CNN in 2004. A year later, he rejoined CNBC where he remains till now.)

Interestingly, it was a stint on television as part of a newspaper panel that got him “discovered”.

“I was younger then, so I figured I could afford to burn two or three years if things didn’t work out (on TV),” said the man who calls himself the “accidental TV star”.

Things did work out, and now 20 or so years on, he has carved a niche for himself as a business anchor. He has clinched trophies at the Asian Television Awards (presented in Singapore) in 1996, 1998, 2007 and 2008 – the only four-time winner in the event’s history.

Soong has covered the Asian financial crisis and reported widely, from Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and Asean summits to post-conflict zones like East Timor.

Among the luminaries that he has spoken to are Microsoft founder Bill Gates, leading industrialists Jeff Immelt and Carlos Ghosn as well as political leaders including Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, former East Timor Foreign Minister (now President) Jose Ramos-Horta, and former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (who passed away last month).

In Malaysia, Soong has interviewed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his predecessors, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He has also talked to Maybank CEO Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, Securities Commission chairman Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar, and Malaysian opposition leader and PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

With Squawk Box airing at 7am, Soong’s day naturally starts very early.

“Though the show is only on from Mondays to Fridays, we’re hostage to the news. If anything breaks on the weekend, we’re in the studio reporting it,” he said matter-of-factly.

On the show, the pace is fast and the content unscripted. He has to be on his toes and have his fingertips on the pulse of the business world at all times.

In his downtime he reads voraciously, due to personal interests as well as work. He enjoys reading business books and cites Chris Anderson, founder of Wired magazine, and Bill Emmott, former editor of The Economist, as his favourite authors. He has to constantly update himself with knowledge and information.

“Business is a very interesting and relevant creature. It puts everything together. On the show we don’t just talk about financial figures. We talk about the weather, the politics of a country, how the crops are faring, the people, the social status, because everything matters to the business world. It’s about how the world works. Figures taken in isolation mean nothing. Business connects everything,” he reasoned.

When he talks business, Soong’s depth of knowledge and insights come through. Intelligent and eloquent, the man is well-versed in both local and international markets, citing examples off the cuff whenever our conversation steers to business.

“Right now the common theme among heads of state and corporate chiefs is how to achieve economic development without sacrificing the social side. Indonesia is a prime example of a country that has made the most headway in the last 20 years.

“It has become a democracy and the local press is blown open. However, it is chaotic there. There are a lot of NGOs but the social aspect suffers.

“Singapore is another example. In the 1980s, it was closed to the outside world. Economic necessity caused it to open itself up. It needed to reinvent itself; making things to sell could not sustain its economy for very long. It recognised that it needed to increase its value-add factor in the eyes of the investor.

“Now you see Singapore trying to grow its population by 40% in seven-and-a-half years to six or seven million. This figure coincidentally is the population of Hong Kong. In order to attract investors to come in, it has to make the playing field interesting for them.”

As we wound up the interview, Soong shared his insights into broadcast journalism.

“Television started in the 1940s, and much later in Asia, so it is a ‘relatively’ young era. Which is my favourite time in television? I think the era of the pioneers of TV was one with the most integrity. I am a big fan of Edward R. Murrow, a great pioneer.

“The modern era is where we are now, which people like to refer to as the CNN-isation of TV. CNBC is part of that, I don’t deny.

“Then we look to the future and you see broadcast journalism going in a whole new direction. We are going mobile and wireless. We can now reach a broader audience faster and easier. So the possibilities are endless!”

In a rapidly changing media landscape, Martin Soong will undoubtedly strive to stay relevant and current while reconnecting with his past – like writing about his dad.

‘Squawk Box’ is broadcast on CNBC (Astro Channel 518) on weekdays, 7am-10am.