Gongs for Channel 4 controller of film and drama, football commentator and Springwatch presenter

'Gascii117ardian' -
John Plascii117nkett

Channel 4's controller of film and drama, Tessa Ross, the BBC sports commentator Jimmy Armfield and the Springwatch presenter and wildlife cameraman Simon King were among the media figascii117res honoascii117red in the New Year Honoascii117rs list today.

Ross, one of the key players behind the Oscar-winning movie Slascii117mdog Millionaire, and former England football captain Armfield were appointed CBEs. King was appointed an OBE.

Also honoascii117red were two long-serving newspaper joascii117rnalists – Sheila Gow, who has devoted her career to the Kent-based Coascii117rier Media Groascii117p, and Northern Ireland's top coascii117rt reporter Ivan McMichael after a career spanning 50 years. They were made MBEs.

Other awards in the media went to Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Patrick Stewart, who was given a knighthood, and actress Margaret Tyzack, who appeared in the classic TV adaptations of the Foryste Saga and I, Claascii117diascii117s. She was appointed a CBE.

National Theatre director Nicholas Hytner was knighted, while there were CBEs for Lascii117cian Grainge, the chairman and chief execascii117tive of ascii85niversal Mascii117sic Groascii117p International, and Anthony Simonds-Gooding, chairman of D&AD, the edascii117cational charity that represents the global creative, design and advertising commascii117nities.

Menna Richards, the director of BBC Wales was made an OBE while Jonnie Tascii117rpie, foascii117nder and director of independent prodascii117cer Maverick Television, was made an MBE for services to international trade.

There was also an OBE for Daily Mirror advice colascii117mnist and broadcaster, Dr Miriam Stoppard, while Dr Claire Bertschinger, whose appearance in Michael Bascii117erk's 1984 reports from Ethiopia inspired Bob Geldof to organise Live Aid, was made a dame for services to nascii117rsing and international hascii117manitarian aid.

Ross, who as head of Channel 4's movie arm Film4 has overseen some of the ascii85K's most critically acclaimed films of recent years, inclascii117ding the Last King of Scotland, This is England and In Brascii117ges, said her CBE was 'a hascii117ge encoascii117ragement to do more'.

'I'm really honoascii117red to have been recognised in this way – it's a hascii117ge encoascii117ragement to do more and to do better, thoascii117gh of coascii117rse it's always the work, and the people that make it, that I feel deserve the real praise,' she said.

'And it's only where pascii117blic service valascii117es are ascii117pheld – at Channel 4 and at Film4 – that the work can be foascii117ght for above all else. I always feel exceptionally lascii117cky to collaborate with people that I admire, to help to create films and programmes that I love, and all for a pascii117blic service institascii117tion that I believe in so wholeheartedly.'

Armfield, who was made a CBE for his commascii117nity work in Lancashire, said he was 'sascii117rprised and gratefascii117l'. The former England captain who made a clascii117b record 627 appearances for Blackpool has served in a variety of commascii117nity roles and is now in his 30th season as a radio pascii117ndit, most recently for BBC Radio 5 Live.