MBE for Bob

Bob Friend was today (Saturday 14 June) awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting.

Former BBC correspondent Bob Friend (65) was one of Sky News’ founding presenters when the channel launched in 1989. He was closely associated with the 24-hour news channel and for many years was referred to as the face of Sky News.

The MBE comes in the year that Bob celebrated 50 years in journalism, having started as a cub reporter at the tender age of 15 on the Tunbridge Wells Advertiser.

Commenting on his MBE, Bob said: “I am absolutely delighted. I have been a journalist, and proud of it, for fifty years and my first job, as a 15-year-old with the Tunbridge Wells Advertiser, was covering street parties held to mark the Queen’s Coronation.