Since 1993 the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria has awarded a member of the Kastellorizian community with the Kastellorizian of the Year Award. The award acknowledges the contribution that the recipient has made to the local, Australian and/or international community in the areas such as academic, business, social, community or cultural development. It is with great pleasure that Kastellorizian Association of Victoria announces that this year’s recipient of the Kastellorizian of the Year Award is John Mangos. John will receive the award at the annual Sts Constantine and Helen’s Day celebrations that will be held on the 25th of May, 2008.
John Mangos is the 16th recipient of the award and is in the company of former Senator, Nick Bolkus (1993, SA); the late Michael G Kailis (1994, WA); Professor Byron Kakulas (1995 WA), Associate Professor Katherine Georgouras (1996, NSW), Jack Bisas (1997 Vic), John Kiosoglou (1998 SA); Nick Patiniotis (1999 Vic), Jacob Fronistas (2000, Vic), Angelo Hatsatouris (2001 NSW); Kennith Michael (2002 WA), Dr Sprio Moraitis (2003 Vic), Dr Nick Lolagis (2004 Vic); Dr Earnest Hondros (2005, London), Theo Conos (2006, Vic) and Marika Bisas (2007; Vic), all whom have previously received the Kastellorizian of the Year Award.
John is a popular news journalist, charismatic presenter and a familiar face on Australian television screens. His career on national TV extends over approximately thirty years. However his endeavours extend beyond the boundaries of his career. John was the first “Greek face” on “mainstream” Australian television and used this to his advantage to encourage Greek culture throughout Australia. He proudly acknowledges that he heritage and has promoted Greek culture and actively participated in the Australian and Greek communities. As a media journalist and personality, John has interacted with people from all walks of life and has been deeply affected by those less fortunate. As a result, John has donated his time to many charities and non-profit organisations. As you read John’s CV you will find that John has many attributes that makes him an idea role model and inspiration to the younger members of Greek and Australian communities.
John attended University High where he developed an interest in journalism. He completed his HSC in 1975 and the following year he undertook studies in Journalism at RMIT. Whilst completing his tertiary education, John worked as a cadet for then Melbourne afternoon newspaper, “The Herald”.
In 1979 John commenced work at GTV9 as an “on air” reporter. As a result, John made TV history as the first “Greek” journalist reporting on “mainstream” Australian television. In his 14 year career at the Nine Network, John worked as a “newscaster” in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. During this period, he travelled with the then Prime Ministers (Fraser, Hawke, Keating) reporting on the political situation at the time. John also worked as a NSW State Political Correspondent (1984-1986) before he became the network’s United States correspondent based in Los Angeles in 1987 and1988. The
highlights of his overseas experience include an ongoing series on the Primary election campaign and nomination for Presidential candidate of Michael Dukakis, the Inauguration in 1989 of President George Bush, the Iran Contra hearings, the Americas Cup campaign in San Diego in 1987, Academy Awards in ’87 and ’88, whales trapped in Alaska (1988) and a health special on 38 year old Siamese twins. Celebrity interviews included Elizabeth Taylor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jane Fonda, Bette Middler, Faye Dunaway, Danny DeVito, Sylvester Stallone, Timothy Dalton, Don Johnson and Sidney Poitier and Sting.
John’s return from the States was prompted by the “King” of Australian television, Graham Kennedy to co-host Sydney-based news program “Coast to Coast”. After “Coast to Coast” ceased production, John made documentaries for the Nine Network which included “Reach for the Skies”, a special on aviation; “Formula 1 Grand Prix- Monte Carlo” and “A Week in Eastern Europe with Metallica”. He hosted “Our World”, a documentary series featuring documentaries from Australia and abroad. The program aired nationally on Sunday evenings. During the daytime, John was also kept busy. He often appeared as a guest host of Nine’s “Today Show” and the “Midday Show”. In 2001, John moved to Network Ten to present the Eyewitness news. A year later he was returned Nine to as the “international roving” reporter for the “Midday show”. John took up an offer from Seven Network to host his own morning chat show, “At Home with John Mangos”, which aired nationally for two years.
John diversified into “Radio Media” where he was a breakfast announcer on Sydney radio station 2KY (1991-1993). John continues to work in radio and at present, he regularly presents a top rating afternoon program on Sydney talkback radio station 2UE. In 1993 John launched his own media consultancy company “Megisti Media” and is available for media training, facilitating, as a Master of ceremonies and after dinner speaking. SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA was launched in 1996 when pay-TV was introduced and John became their senior anchorman, a post he holds today. Currently, John is also a weekly regular on Australia’s leading breakfast program, the Seven Network’s Sunrise. John also extends himself beyond his boundaries and making no claims to be a singer, he recently appeared in the cast of It Takes Two.
Career Highlights and achievements
John has received many accolades for his excellence in Journalism and the Australian entertainment industry and these honours include: The Thorn EMI award for excellence in journalism (1987 Siamese Twins). He received two Logie nominations (1985 and 1993 Best News story). John was invited three times (1984, 2003 and 2004) by the Greek Government to attend and report on briefings with Senior Ministers of the Greek Government, the Greek Prime Minister and Greek President (PM Karamanllis and President Stephanopoulos). John has also received highly commended awards for his documentaries on the Kenya elephants 1993, and Australian Doctor in Swaziland 1994. In John’s opinion, his “crowing glory” and the achievement he is most proud of was his role as “exclusive reporter” for SKY NEWS AUSTRALIA at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. During this time, John was relocated to Athens for three months before the games. He took great professional nourishment in the celebration of the handover from Sydney to Athens and relished the opportunity to report from Athens on such a major international event.
John’s Community Involvement
Despite being such a busy and highly profiled personality, one aspect of John’s personality that is not greatly publicised, is his involvement with the community at large. Over the years John has found time to be involved in not only the Kastellorizian and Greek communities but also in the greater Australian community. Office for rent Greek and Kastellorizian Community Involvement Over the past 25 years he has been Master of Ceremonies at the majority of
Kastellorizian Balls throughout Australia and several Young Matron’s Balls held in Sydney. He was as Master of Ceremonies for the Melbourne 80th anniversary ball in 2005.
John is very conscious that being Kastellorizian also means that he is Greek. John has actively involved himself in the Greek Culture and Community as well. In this role, he has been Master of Ceremonies for many functions held by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and for his local parish in Sydney (annual fundraisers over the past five years) John officiated and has been Master of Ceremonies at most of the 25th of March functions held in Sydney that were held in the past 25 years. He has also been thrice Master of Ceremonies at the Glendi Festivals of Darwin and once in Adelaide. In 1980-81 AHEPA recognized John for his involvement in the Greek Community with the “AHEPA Greek of the Year” award.
His experience with both “free-to-air and pay TV industries enabled him to launch Greek Australian Television on Optus Vision (1998-1999) where he hosted a twice-weekly current affairs program specific to Greek Australian issues called Straight Talk and therefore generating awareness of issues important to people of Greek heritage. For the last 13 years, John has taken Greek Seafood classes at the Sydney Fish market. John’s love for Greek Culture extends beyond Greek food to his love for Greek music.
He has proudly brought esteemed Greek vocalists George Dalaras (3 times, 1992, 1996, 2004) and Marinella (2004) to Australia. John believes that promotion of Greek music is very important because it extends Greek culture beyond the diaspora.
Wider Australian Community Involvement
John frequently donates his time to charity fundraisers which benefits the wider
Australian Community. He was a past Patron of the Make a Wish Foundation (1992- 1995). An original member of the steering committee for the Children’s Medical Research Institute and was instrumental in the establishment of Jeans for Genes Day (1992-1995).
He has also been involved in fundraising events for: The Sydney Children’s Hospital, The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Westmead Hospital, National Breast Cancer Awareness week, Prostate cancer awareness week, SIDs Red Nose days, Macular Degeneration Thalassaemia Society.
John is also member of the Variety Club of Australia and has hosted many events for them in their mission to raise money for disadvantaged children.
For the past three years John has hosted the Laiki Bank’s annual fundraiser for disadvantaged children called RadioMarathon in both Sydney and Melbourne. Currently, John is the Patron of: Trish Cairns Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation at St Vincent’s Hospital, Berries for Kids Cancer Foundation in Sydney and Ambassador for Day of Difference Foundation (Sophie Delezio).
John is a former board member of environment group Oceanwatch Australia, and Olympic Football Club. He is an official ambassador for the Sydney Swans and was last year bestowed with a life membership for his twenty years service to the club. John lives in Sydney with wife, Tanny and their newly born son, Kosta. John will be awarded the Kastellorizian of the Year award at the annual Saints Constantine and Helen’s Day Celebration held by the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria.a