Professional Credits

Alec’s professional background comprises training, journalism, presenting, voice-over, corporate work and drama. Alec trained as an actor after university and his many credits include Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Doctor Who, Coronation Street and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Training

Alec has been a Voice and Presentation Trainer for the BBC since 2001, where he delivers one-to-one training, and designs and facilitates Presentation courses for BBC staff and talent all over the UK and abroad, among them journalists, presenters, announcers and other staff. He has also run successful courses for the City Lit Adult Education College, Queen Mary University of London (History department staff and postgraduates), Brunel and Roehampton Universities (undergraduates and graduates), London School of Economics (senior academic staff) and the Actor’s Centre in Business.

Alec has worked with journalists, MPs, doctors, advocates as well as executives from the corporate world. His clients include Deloitte Touche, Telenor (International Telecoms), Eli Lilly (Pharmaceuticals, Indiana USA), World Health Organisation, Channel 4, ITV, BBC, TRT World (Istanbul), WRS Swiss Radio Geneva, SThree, and Antenna International Audio.

For the BBC Alec has delivered Presentation training for journalists in London, Washington, Moscow, Nairobi, Dar-es-Salaam, Dakar, Bucharest, Tirana, Manchester/Salford, Cardiff, Norwich, Leeds, Bristol, Worcester, Shrewsbury, Hull, Birmingham, Gloucester, Ipswich, Leicester, Chelmsford, Glasgow, Inverness. At BBC Monitoring in Reading Alec designed and ran Communications skills courses for analysts and journalists.

Presentation, Broadcast, Journalism

For 16 years Alec presented news and other programmes at the BBC World Service to a daily audience of over 50 million around the world. He was also a news writer, programme maker and senior announcer. In the industry since 1984, he has worked in radio and TV in Britain, Europe and the Middle East. Employers include Central Office of Information, London; Channel 2 Saudi TV in English; Blue Danube, Vienna; LBC; BFBS; Chiltern Radio; Southern Sound Radio.

Theatre, TV & Films

Prior to 1985, Alec worked extensively as an actor.

Television credits include:

‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’, ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Coronation Street’, ‘Bergerac’,’ Birds of a Feather’, ‘French Fields’, ‘Silence is Golden’, SFP TV Paris ‘La Filiere’ series.

Cinema credits include:

‘SOS Titanic’, ‘Nelly’s Version’, ‘L’Etincelle’ and several other feature films in France. Theatre includes: Royal Court, Royal Shakespeare Co.

Voice Overs and Corporate Film

Alec has done numerous Commercials, Corporate films, and Voice Overs.

Clients include:

Antenna Audio (Museum & Art guides – many for the Louvre Museum, Paris), Imaginear, Winalot, Cellnet (BT), TSB, Marks & Spencer, Timex, Sunday Times, Delta Airlines, National Power, British Gas, Aquafresh, Watneys, Mobil, Supasnaps, Mallerman-Summerfield, Volvo, Soundalive Guides, Scotland on Sunday, IBM, British Rail, KwikFit, Sky TV, Crack Crisps, Spain.

Post-graduate Education and Training

Post-graduate Diploma Drama Manchester University (including Voice Training)

Post-graduate Diploma Radio Journalism London College of Printing

Teacher Training City Literary Institute London (City & Guilds)

Numerous courses in Training and Voice and Presentation

You're On!

Alec’s latest book ‘You’re On!’ is available to buy using the link below. The book provides exercises to improve vocal quality and breathing, tips on controlling nerves, and an insight into how broadcast audio and video technology can work for you. There is expert guidance and further exercises on everything from ad-libbing and podcasting to reading a script and interviewing.

Alec Sabin