Bob Friend (newscaster)
Encyclopedia
Bob Friend, MBE
(20 January 1938 8 October 2008) was one of the original news anchors for the Sky News
channel from its launch in 1989 until his retirement in late 2003.
Friend started his career in 1953 aged 15 as a cub reporter on the Tunbridge Wells Advertiser, reporting on the Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation
. After he undertook National Service
as a corporal clerk with the Brigade of Gurkhas
in Hong Kong, Friend served a ten year freelance career in various British newspapers before starting his broadcast
career with the BBC
in 1969.
Starting out as the Northern Ireland
correspondent of the Radio 4
's Today programme
, Friend served four years in Northern Ireland witnessing sectarian violence
at the start of The Troubles
. After a short stint in Vietnam
he got his first official overseas TV posting as the BBC's first Australia correspondent in 1973, five years as the BBC's Tokyo correspondent, and finally New York city as BBC Breakfast
correspondent where the current Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson
was his producer.
After 20 years with the BBC, Friend returned to the United Kingdom to work on the start-up Sky News
. Friend's first appearance on Sky News was on 23 October 1989 alongside Vivien Creegor
, but his best known on-screen partner was Anna Botting
, and they became one of channel's most popular news duos.
Friend became the best recognised face of Sky News, and as a result of being spotted by Tom Cruise
while he watched Sky News on a short visit to London, Friend had cameos in a number of News Corporation
owned Twentieth Century Fox's 1990s films, including Independence Day
and Mission Impossible
.
In June 2003 he was awarded an MBE
for services to broadcasting in the Queen's Birthday Honours List
, shortly before his retirement presenting alongside Creegor on 23 October, exactly 14 years after his first appearance.
Friend was a guest presenter on LBC News 1152
during the 2005 United Kingdom general election
.
Chairman and CEO of News Corporation
Rupert Murdoch
paid personal tribute to Friend:
Friend was married with two daughters. He died on 8 October 2008 from a brain tumour.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(20 January 1938 8 October 2008) was one of the original news anchors for the Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
channel from its launch in 1989 until his retirement in late 2003.
Friend started his career in 1953 aged 15 as a cub reporter on the Tunbridge Wells Advertiser, reporting on the Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation
Coronation of the British monarch
The coronation of the British monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
. After he undertook National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
as a corporal clerk with the Brigade of Gurkhas
Brigade of Gurkhas
The Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for units of the current British Army that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that of...
in Hong Kong, Friend served a ten year freelance career in various British newspapers before starting his broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
career with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1969.
Starting out as the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
correspondent of the Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
, Friend served four years in Northern Ireland witnessing sectarian violence
Sectarian violence
Sectarian violence and/or sectarian strife is violence inspired by sectarianism, that is, between different sects of one particular mode of ideology or religion within a nation/community...
at the start of The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
. After a short stint in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
he got his first official overseas TV posting as the BBC's first Australia correspondent in 1973, five years as the BBC's Tokyo correspondent, and finally New York city as BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
correspondent where the current Director General of the BBC Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
Mark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...
was his producer.
After 20 years with the BBC, Friend returned to the United Kingdom to work on the start-up Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
. Friend's first appearance on Sky News was on 23 October 1989 alongside Vivien Creegor
Vivien Creegor
Vivien Creegor is an English television newscaster. From 1989 until 2006, she was one of the principal news readers on Sky News.-Biography:...
, but his best known on-screen partner was Anna Botting
Anna Botting
Anna Elizabeth Botting is a British news anchor with Sky News, a broadcasting network based in the United Kingdom. She currently presents Sky News at Ten, Sky News at Eleven and Sky Midnight News from Monday to Thursday...
, and they became one of channel's most popular news duos.
Friend became the best recognised face of Sky News, and as a result of being spotted by Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
while he watched Sky News on a short visit to London, Friend had cameos in a number of News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
owned Twentieth Century Fox's 1990s films, including Independence Day
Independence Day (film)
Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
and Mission Impossible
Mission: Impossible (film)
Mission: Impossible is a 1996 action thriller directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Cruise. Following on from the television series of the same name, the plot follows a new agent, Ethan Hunt and his mission to uncover the mole within the CIA who has framed him for the murders of his entire...
.
In June 2003 he was awarded an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to broadcasting in the Queen's Birthday Honours List
British honours system
The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories...
, shortly before his retirement presenting alongside Creegor on 23 October, exactly 14 years after his first appearance.
Friend was a guest presenter on LBC News 1152
LBC News 1152
LBC News 1152 is London's only rolling news radio station broadcasting in Greater London on AM, DAB, Sky, Virgin Media and online. The station's aim is to provide more in depth coverage of the day's news stories...
during the 2005 United Kingdom general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
.
Chairman and CEO of News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
paid personal tribute to Friend:
Friend was married with two daughters. He died on 8 October 2008 from a brain tumour.