Sir Geoffrey Sandford Cox CNZM CBE (7 April 1910 – 2 April 2008) was a New Zealand-born newspaper and television journalist. He was a former editor and chief executive of ITN and a founder of News at Ten.[1]

Early life

Cox was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand, the son of Charles William Sandford Cox, a bank manager, and Mary Cox, daughter of Duncan MacGregor.[2][3] He was educated at Southland Boys' High School, followed by the University of Otago and then a Rhodes scholarship to Oriel College, Oxford, from 1932 to 1935.

Career

His career in journalism began in 1935 when he joined the News Chronicle. He covered the Spanish Civil War from Madrid, then went to Vienna and Paris for the Daily Express in which he broke the news in 1939 that British troops had arrived in France. He then covered the Winter War from Finland. He was critical of the Soviet attack on Finland but foresaw that the Red Army would defeat the Germans.

He enlisted in the New Zealand Army, serving in Crete and North Africa as an Intelligence Officer on Freyberg's staff, then was First Secretary at the new New Zealand Embassy in Washington (when Walter Nash was Minister to the United States) before serving in Italy. In 1945, Cox was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division).[4]

In 1956 he joined ITN, the new commercial TV channel in Britain as News Editor of Independent Television News. In the 1959 New Year Honours, Cox was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire,[5] and in the 1966 New Year Honours he was knighted as a Knight Bachelor.[6] He started News at Ten in 1967. In 1977 Cox joined Yorkshire Television (YTV) as Ward Thomas' Deputy Chairman.[7]

In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, Cox was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to New Zealand and New Zealand interests in the United Kingdom.[8]

Personal life

He married Cecily Turner in 1935[citation needed]; they had two sons and twin daughters[citation needed]; his wife died in 1993.[citation needed]

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ Dance of the Peacocks: New Zealanders in exile in the times of Hitler and Mao Tse Tung (Vintage Books, 2003) James McNeish, ISBN 1-86941-564-7
  2. ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 109. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  3. ^ "A Wellington Marriage". Otago Daily Times. No. 12649. 29 April 1903. Retrieved 14 July 2021 – via Papers Past.
  4. ^ "No. 37274". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 September 1945. p. 4671.
  5. ^ "No. 41589". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1959. p. 10.
  6. ^ "No. 43854". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1966. p. 1.
  7. ^ Jeremy Potter. Independent Television in Britain VOL 4. p89
  8. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2000 (including special list for East Timor)". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 5 June 2000. Retrieved 20 July 2019.

External links

Business positions Preceded by Chairman of LBC Radio 1978 – 1981 Succeeded by Preceded by Chairman of Tyne Tees Television 1971 – 1974 Succeeded by Preceded by Deputy Chairman of Yorkshire Television 1968 – 1971 Succeeded by Preceded byAidan Crawley Editor and Chief Executive of Independent Television News 1956 – 1968 Succeeded bySir David Nicholas
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