Bob Warman becomes MBE

Bob Warman, Presenter at ITV Central, has been appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire as part of Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Bob Warman, presenter at ITV Central, has been appointed an MBE for his services to Broadcasting and Journalism in the West Midlands.

Bob Warman:

“This award is a great honour for me personally and has come as something of a surprise. I’ve been very fortunate to do the job I have in broadcasting – it’s a real privilege – and any success I can claim is largely due to the considerable skill and support of my colleagues both on and off screen. Live television is such a collaborative process and I share the award with my colleagues, certainly in spirit.”

Bob, at 75 years old, is not only one of the most recognisable faces in broadcasting in the Midlands but is one of the world’s longest standing television presenters, having fronted ITV Central News for 49 years before recently announcing his upcoming retirement.

Following an early career as a local newspaper reporter on the Walsall Observer and the Birmingham Post and Mail, he first started broadcasting as a radio journalist on Radio Birmingham, before starting his career in television at ITV, presenting regional news programmes for ATV Network’s ATV Today news show.

He was also a regional presenter on Yorkshire Television from 1976 to 1979. During this time, he presented Britain’s first breakfast programme Good Morning Calendar in 1977.

In 1979, he returned to ATV, which he had originally joined in 1973, and stayed with the ITV region as it changed to Central Television and Central News in 1982. In 1985 he made a cameo in top rating soap Crossroads and in 1989, he hosted the Sky TV version of The Price Is Right.

Alongside his illustrious media career, he has been widely recognised for services to many local charities.

He is President of the Birmingham Press Club, the world’s oldest Press Club, and an honorary Vice-President of the Journalists Charity. He was a long-standing Patron of Acorns Hospices, and was Regional Chairman of Coutts & Co, a private bank.

He was a founding member of the committee which established the Princess Royal Trust for carers in the Midlands. He has also been very supportive of local business enterprises. He was the Vice Chairman of the Birmingham Civic Society, recipient of an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University and recipient of the Royal Television Society, Baird Medal.

Liz Hannam, head of news for ITV Central:

“After almost half a century fronting our flagship programme, it’s fair to say Bob has covered some of the biggest stories in the UK over the years. As well as his long and decorated career as a journalist, he is known in the newsroom as a modest, approachable presenter who is only too happy to share his wealth of knowledge and experience with anyone who asks. I can’t think of any better way to mark his achievements, or a better person to be honoured by the Queen.”