The former head of The Argus's parent company has been recognised in the New Year's honours list for services to the regional newspaper industry.

Jim Brown, who retired as chairman of Newsquest Media Group in July following a long and distinguished career, is appointed a CBE.

He said: "It is recognition not just for all my work in the newspaper business but also for the colleagues who worked with me at Newsquest."

Mr Brown, 67, became chairman of Newsquest in February 1996 and was chief executive from April 1990 to August 2001.

He started as a journalist, switching to management when he joined Thomson Regional Newspapers in 1964, where he was a main board director.

He moved to Reed Regional Newspapers in 1986 and led a management buy-out in January 1996 and the acquisition in 1997 of Westminster Press.

Since then, the business has more than doubled in size and now publishes more than 300 newspapers with a weekly circulation of more than ten million.

Mr Brown, whose daughter Claire Williams lives in Woodingdean, lives in Surrey with wife Anna.