AddThis SmartLayers

Chief exec's delight at OBE honour

by HoldtheFrontPage Staff Published 22 Dec 2008

The chief executive of the Cumbria-based CN Group was among those to pick up a Birthday Honour from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

Robin Burgess was awarded an OBE for his services to the newspaper industry and the wider community in Cumbria.

The CN Group publishes daily titles the News and Star and North West Evening Mail as well as a host of weeklies such as the Hexham Courant and Cumberland News.

Mr Burgess is also an active member of the Cumbria community where he is a former High Sheriff.

He is also a former president of the Newspaper Society and a current director of PressBof, the body that funds the Press Complaints Commission.

The 57-year-old was recently appointed to the board of the Carlisle Renaissance regeneration project and is church warden in Scaleby, near Carlisle.

Mr Burgess said: “It is a great honour to receive the OBE. I am very proud and delighted.

“There were about 100 people at the ceremony. I spoke to the Prince of Wales for about a minute and he was asking me about what was happening in Cumbria.

“There were no film stars at this investiture which was quite nice as everyone was interested in one another’s achievements.”

Other recipients of Birthday Honours include:

  • Maurice O’Neill, editor of the Ballymena Guardian, received an OBE for services to journalism in Northern Ireland.
  • Carolyn McCall picked up an OBE for service to women in business. Ms McCall is chief executive of the Guardian Media Group whose titles include the Manchester Evening News, Reading Evening Post and various weekly newspapers.
  • James Blair Raeburn was awarded the OBE for service to the Scottish newspaper industry. He is director of the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society

    • More achievements by journalists and members of the regional press industry are expected to be recognised in the New Year’s Honours List, published later this week.

    Spotted an error? Email the editor.