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Outgoing chief executive receives service to industry award

The outgoing chief executive of an independent newspaper group has received an award for his service to the industry.

Robin Burgess is to step down on his 65th birthday in January after more than three decades at the helm of the family-owned CN Group, based in Carlisle.

He was awarded the the special Journalists’ Charity Award for service to the industry at today’s Regional Press Awards ceremony in London.

It was one of three awards won by the group which last year scored a double victory with both the daily News and Star and weekly Cumberland News winning Newspaper of the Year prizes.

Robin B

Journalists’ Charity chairman and Society of Editors board member Sue Ryan described Robin as a “valuable prop for the Society of Editors in its continuing battles for media freedom.

“He is respected not only for his immense media role but for his community and charity responsibilities.

She added: “His editors talk mostly of his passionate support for his newspapers, his magazines, his journalists and his beloved Cumbria. He is a real newspaper man – who loves the big stories and investigations and loves it even more if they have an impact on local people.

“He has announced that he will retire next January on his 65th birthday. So we are delighted to mark his achievements with this award that will be the first of many accolades.”

There was more success for the group as the Daily/Sunday Sports Journalist of the Year was awarded to Jon Colman of the News & Star in Carlisle while the paper was also awarded the Campaign of the Year award for its work in challenging Cumbria County Council to find alternative ways of raising revenue after it emerged parking charges were to be imposed in almost all the county’s town centre high streets.

The judges described it as “a classic example of a local newspaper campaigning in the finest tradition on behalf of its readers in the face of anti-democratic behaviour of the whole authority.”