• Lucy Meacock. Long-running anchorwoman of Granada Reports and its predecessor Granada Tonight from the late 1980s to the present day. A convent education in Chester and Australia was followed by her first job as a reporter on the Chester Chronicle. Spells with Tyne Tees and the BBC in Newcastle and London followed before she joined Granada.
Green
• Alan Green. By far radio’s best-known football pundit is loathed by Alec Ferguson but loved by many others. Is to Macclesfield and football what Brian Redhead was to Today. Studied modern history at Queens in Belfast and began his career on local papers. Joined the Beeb in Belfast in ’75, initially as a news presenter before finding his natural home in sport.
O'Neill
• Patrick O’Neill. Recently announced his intention to step down as editor of Cheshire Life (‘Britain’s biggest county magazine’) after 18 years. The 64-year-old does not intend to stop writing though. Trained as a priest in Durham but discovered an alternative road in journalism. Began his career in Liverpool before moving to Manchester and the Daily Mail.
Whitehair
• Russell Whitehair. Chairman of North Wales Newspapers and current president of the Newspaper Society began his career as a lawyer before deciding a life in newspapers was for him. Sold a contract publishing business to Mediaforce and joined NWN in 1994. Titles include the Chester and Wrexham Evening Leaders, North Wales Chronicle and Ellesmere Port Standard.
Melhuish
• Stuart Melhuish. May be about to cash in his considerable chips if rumours of Hasgrove plc’s interest are correct. Amaze has 140 staff with its HQ near Runcorn in Cheshire and is ranked one of the UK’s top 20 digital agencies. Melhuish, 42, co-founded Amaze at Liverpool John Moores University and led an MBO in ’97.
Foggett
• Tony Foggett. With two colleagues set up digital agency Code Computerlove in 1999. Code today employs 50 staff and has sales approaching £4m. The agency has managed to pull a growing string of blue chip national brands out of London including HMV, Hovis, BUPA, Huggies and Sharwoods. Denies a sale is in the offing.
Borrell
• Roger Borrell. 53-year-old editor of Lancashire Life, the UK’s biggest selling county magazine with paid sales of over 25,000 copies a month. Born in Urmston, he has worked in Newcastle, Preston and Birmingham. Has edited the Lancashire Evening Post and Birmingham Post. Appears to be comfortably seeing off a challenge from Oyston’s rival Lancashire magazine.
Bennett
• Roy Bennett. MD of radio stations Smooth and Century, the region’s two largest by number of listeners. The two stations employ over 100 people. 43-year-old Bennett began his media career as a sales rep on the Mirror. Moved into radio and joined Guardian Media Group Radio in 2000 and helped launch Real Radio in Wales.
Fickling
• Andrew Fickling. MD Sports Newspapers. Educated at Brunel University. Joined SN in 1994. Appointed head of IT in 2000 and executive director in 2004. Appointed MD in January this year and was part of the team that completed the £50m reverse takeover by Interactive World in September. SN employs over 100 staff in Manchester and makes substantial profits.
Maddock
• Richard Maddock. 34-year-old joined Radio City straight from University in 1994. Programme director for Radio City, Magic 1548 and fellow Emap station City Talk which launches next Jan. In May led Radio City to its third ‘Sony UK Radio Station Of The Year’ title in six years. Won Sony UK Programmer of the Year in 2005.
Taylor
• Michael Taylor. Editor of North West Business Insider and editorial director of parent Newsco. A journalist since 1989 in Oz and London. Moved back to the NW in 2000 to become Insider’s editor. Part of the MBO team from Candover in 2005. Can increasingly be seen comfortably hosting awards and dinners – perhaps his next role post Insider?
Reynolds
• Simon Reynolds. Editor of Lancashire Evening Post. Mancunian Reynolds joined the Cheshire Observer in 1985 and by way of Carlisle, Wrexham and Glasgow went to the Daily Mail in London. Further stints followed in Liverpool and Edinburgh before becoming editorial director of the LEP and Wigan Evening Post in 2001. In 2006 the LEP became the UK’s first ‘fully-converged’ news operation.
Toolan
• Mike Toolan. Approaching ten years of broadcasting to Manchester’s largest radio audience. Started out at Rock FM and moved around the UK till he landed at Capital. Moved to Key 103 in ’98. Elsewhere chat shows on Channel M, panto and occasional presenter of the ‘Hit 40 UK’ chart show for national commercial radio.
Wakelin
• Michael Wakelin. Head of religion and ethics for the BBC. All the BBC's religious programming is based in Manchester: from Songs of Praise to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Joined the BBC in ’86 as a researcher. The award-winning Religion and Ethics website is the number one Google search for religious coverage and a clutch of awards along the way including a Sony for The Dream.
Little
• Sue Little. Chief executive of McCann Erickson Communications House in Prestbury, which with over 300 staff is by far the largest ad agency outside London and claims to be ‘the leading integrated agency in the UK’. Trained as an interpreter before joining the agency world. Prefers to maintain a low profile, unlike the majority of her peers.
Croft
• David Croft. 52-year-old director of regional sales for all 11 ITV stations outside London and MD of ITV Yorkshire. His 85 strong regional sales team accounts for over £250m of sales. In Yorkshire he oversees 900 staff. Previously at C4 and Thames. Joined Granada mid 90s and following the merger with Carlton was appointed sales supremo. Lives in Cheshire.
Bell
• David Bell. Irish-born 46-year-old CEO of Cheetham Bell JWT. Founded CB with Andy Cheetham in ’92 and sold 50% of the agency to a struggling JWT Manchester in 2001. The earn-out period is about to finish but he will remain as CEO. Has written a book about advertising and is seeking a publisher.
Wood
• Tony Wood. Creative director Lime Pictures. Joined Mersey TV as a trainee on Brookside. In the 90s he became part of David Liddiment's celebrated reign at Granada. Following a spell at the BBC he returned to ITV in 2000 as head of continuing drama for the network. In 2003 appointed producer of Corrie. Lime called in 2006 and he oversees all the growing programme output.
Luca
• Jane Luca: Controller of regional affairs for the ITV network. Luca, 47, joined Granada as a production secretary 27 years ago. Has risen steadily and following the merger with Carlton, won the tussle for her current role which essentially represents the public face of ITV in the regions. Her local interests include board membership of Marketing Manchester.
Regan
• Martin Regan. Wythenshawe lad now lives in baronial splendour in Alderley Edge. Formative years as a property journalist led to variety of roles including editing Insider and EN magazines. Co-founded Excel Publishing which employs 160 staff and claims to be the North's largest independent publishing company. Appointed chief executive (p/t) of the English Chess Federation in 2006.
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