Paul Alster - Broadcast Journalist
Member BAJ - British Association of Journalists
The story so far......
Paul, SKY TV, Lingfield Park
In 1985 Paul joined the British betting industry broadcasting company EXTEL and within three years became one of the company's Grade 1 commentators. When EXTEL lost its broadcast monopoly in 1989 Paul moved into general sports broadcasting with William Hill Rapid Raceline and also worked as ringside correspondent for the highly regarded Boxing News, before being offered the opportunity to manage a new sports media company, Sportslink UK, based in Manchester.
Paul's success at Sportslink UK caught the attention of the producers of Britain's first daily racing satellite TV service, Sportscast TV, and on January 1st 1992, he commentated and presented live from Ayr racecourse in Scotland on the first ever broadcast in Britain of satellite racing to viewers outside of the betting shop industry.
Together with commentary/presentation colleague Mark Johnson, Paul helped the channel grow in popularity broadcasting from all corners of the British Isles. Following the success of Sportscast, Paul went on to commentate for S.I.S TV and SKY TV's 'The Winning Post' and was also a regular racecourse commentator for the (PA) Press Association of Great Britain.
After taking a year long sabbatical to travel round the Far East and Australia, Paul returned to the British racing media in 1995 to concentrate on journalism, writing initially for the Sporting Life newspaper as a form analyst and then for its successor, the Racing Post, as a 'Close-Up' reporter.
In late 1996, he decided to emigrate to Israel where he was soon appointed head of Radio West, Israel's (and the Middle East's) first 24-hour English language radio station. He created the first English language rolling radio news team in Israel before moving on to be a freelance news correspondent, which he combined with a return to his earlier career as a musician, when forming the successful Tel Aviv-based 'Jazz Me Blues' band.
In the summer of '99, (after marrying Paz, his Israeli-born wife), Paul returned to England to take up the post of Starting Price (SP) Returner for the PA, becoming one of a select team of independent decision-makers in the returning of odds for both the on and off-course British racing industry, and with it, world internet betting companies. During this period he also was the voice of SKY News' presentation of the first ever virtual horse races, following the abandonment of the 2001 Cheltenham Festival.
In 2003 Paul left the PA to become broadcast manager for ICS (Independent Content Services) in his home town of Leeds. The company successfully developed internet commentary and racing content services for many leading bookmaking and media clients, and Paul himself also returned to race commentary and journalism on a daily basis.
In July 2007, after much soul searching, Paul and his family moved permanently to Israel and he began work as Head of Media & Communication for the Israeli Jockey Club, a role he fulfilled until November 2009. He is a founder member of the Israel Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA), and has acted as adviser to various sections of the burgeoning Israeli betting and racing industry, as well as lobbying relevant government departments for changes in the law concerning racing and the betting industry.
In May 2009, he joined Israeli sports TV's 'Channel +5 Live' where he presents and commentates (in Hebrew! - definitely worth a listen), on major international races. Earlier that year, Paul co-produced and featured in the documentary 'The Princess of Be'er Yaacov' for Israel's Channel 1 TV, recording his project to attempt to provide Israel with its first ever winning racehorse in the UK. Currently he acts as advisor to a number of Israeli sports media 'start-up' companies as well as being consultant on the racing industry for a Singapore-based client.
Away from horses and the racing industry, Paul remains a keen jazz musician playing tenor saxophone and clarinet. He started his online blog in October 2009 offering a personal view of everyday life in Israel and reflections on Israeli/Middle Eastern politics, culture, food, humour and more.
Paul's success at Sportslink UK caught the attention of the producers of Britain's first daily racing satellite TV service, Sportscast TV, and on January 1st 1992, he commentated and presented live from Ayr racecourse in Scotland on the first ever broadcast in Britain of satellite racing to viewers outside of the betting shop industry.
Together with commentary/presentation colleague Mark Johnson, Paul helped the channel grow in popularity broadcasting from all corners of the British Isles. Following the success of Sportscast, Paul went on to commentate for S.I.S TV and SKY TV's 'The Winning Post' and was also a regular racecourse commentator for the (PA) Press Association of Great Britain.
After taking a year long sabbatical to travel round the Far East and Australia, Paul returned to the British racing media in 1995 to concentrate on journalism, writing initially for the Sporting Life newspaper as a form analyst and then for its successor, the Racing Post, as a 'Close-Up' reporter.
In late 1996, he decided to emigrate to Israel where he was soon appointed head of Radio West, Israel's (and the Middle East's) first 24-hour English language radio station. He created the first English language rolling radio news team in Israel before moving on to be a freelance news correspondent, which he combined with a return to his earlier career as a musician, when forming the successful Tel Aviv-based 'Jazz Me Blues' band.
In the summer of '99, (after marrying Paz, his Israeli-born wife), Paul returned to England to take up the post of Starting Price (SP) Returner for the PA, becoming one of a select team of independent decision-makers in the returning of odds for both the on and off-course British racing industry, and with it, world internet betting companies. During this period he also was the voice of SKY News' presentation of the first ever virtual horse races, following the abandonment of the 2001 Cheltenham Festival.
In 2003 Paul left the PA to become broadcast manager for ICS (Independent Content Services) in his home town of Leeds. The company successfully developed internet commentary and racing content services for many leading bookmaking and media clients, and Paul himself also returned to race commentary and journalism on a daily basis.
In July 2007, after much soul searching, Paul and his family moved permanently to Israel and he began work as Head of Media & Communication for the Israeli Jockey Club, a role he fulfilled until November 2009. He is a founder member of the Israel Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (ITBA), and has acted as adviser to various sections of the burgeoning Israeli betting and racing industry, as well as lobbying relevant government departments for changes in the law concerning racing and the betting industry.
In May 2009, he joined Israeli sports TV's 'Channel +5 Live' where he presents and commentates (in Hebrew! - definitely worth a listen), on major international races. Earlier that year, Paul co-produced and featured in the documentary 'The Princess of Be'er Yaacov' for Israel's Channel 1 TV, recording his project to attempt to provide Israel with its first ever winning racehorse in the UK. Currently he acts as advisor to a number of Israeli sports media 'start-up' companies as well as being consultant on the racing industry for a Singapore-based client.
Away from horses and the racing industry, Paul remains a keen jazz musician playing tenor saxophone and clarinet. He started his online blog in October 2009 offering a personal view of everyday life in Israel and reflections on Israeli/Middle Eastern politics, culture, food, humour and more.
On December 18th, 1996, a week before he emigrated to Israel (the first time!), a group of Paul's Press Room colleagues arranged a race in his honour at Catterick racecourse, in North Yorkshire.
The three mile novices' chase turned out to be a thriller, with Gems Lad beating Tico Gold in a photo finish. After the race, Paul received champagne and other mementos (pictured below).
The presentation party - Catterick, December 1996
