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DAVID Campbell, who has died on the age of 78, was a well known and revered enterprise determine within the west of Scotland who began his working life within the Service provider Navy however discovered his true vocation within the newspaper trade.
From 1974 to 1984, he was Managing Director of Scottish and Common Newspapers, a part of a protracted affiliation with George Outram & Co., who have been publishers of the Glasgow Herald and a variety of different titles. He was additionally a former president of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and a Freeman of the Metropolis of London.
Having risen and prospered by means of media companies, he gave a few years of service to public our bodies, notably in his adopted Ayrshire and, extra broadly, as a disburser of Nationwide Lottery largesse to a large number of worthy causes. No matter he turned his hand to in a multi-faceted profession, David introduced sharp intelligence, an open thoughts and a trendy character.
Having obtained officer {qualifications}, he spent seven years as a radio operator within the Service provider Navy, primarily with the Union Fortress line, however got here ashore after deciding that “you may solely see Rio de Janeiro’s harbour so many occasions and it’s time to transfer on”. In 1968, his first job with Outram’s was as an promoting consultant and his climb by means of the organisation thereafter was meteoric.
Scottish & Common was the writer of Outram’s 23 native newspaper titles. This was a interval of fast technological change within the trade and David revelled within the setting, driving change and efficiencies with out upsetting the economic relations conflicts that will later beset heavier-handed press barons.
His good friend Tony Meehan recollects: “David was the one individual I knew at the moment who recognised the affect that info expertise would have on our lives. He had the imaginative and prescient to see the potential and the flexibility to make it occur. In actual phrases this was shifting a significant Scottish newspaper publishing home from the Stone Age – in additional methods than one – into the twenty first century”. In 1983, he grew to become chairman of the Scottish Newspaper Publishers Affiliation.
David was born in Glasgow and attended Whitehill Faculty in Dennistoun earlier than progressing to James Watt School for his Service provider Navy coaching. He met his spouse to be, Moira Donald, within the Kenco espresso store in Buchanan Road – the place to satisfy in Nineteen Sixties Glasgow. Moira was then working for British United Airways and would later graduate in each social work and legislation.
As David’s enterprise profession progressed, they settled first in Largs after which in West Kilbride. After shifting on from Scottish & Common, he maintained his curiosity in newspapers by shopping for the previous Guthrie group of native titles from Johnston Press. It grew to become West Impartial Newspapers with David as chairman and chief govt and its titles included his personal native papers, the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald and Largs & Millport Weekly Information.
In 1984, he additionally grew to become concerned in one other department of technology-driven media innovation as chief govt of the fledgling Clyde Cable Imaginative and prescient. Cable tv created, for the primary time within the UK, the provide of 24-hour, multi-channel tv and Clyde Cable Imaginative and prescient gained one of many early franchises to function in North Glasgow. The programme combine included native content material in addition to imported materials.
With a view to join subscribers, it was crucial to put cable within the streets. On prime of that pricey logistical problem, competitors on the time was with video recorders as a lot as with different broadcasters. Clyde Cable Imaginative and prescient launched in October 1985 however cable confronted one other big problem inside 5 years by means of the arrival of satellite tv for pc TV. The corporate widened its telecommunications bundle and was offered to the American group Cabletel, of which David remained a director till 1993.
David had turn out to be an actual Ayrshire patriot and was concerned in a variety of organisations which promoted the financial and social wellbeing of the county. All through the Nineteen Nineties, when Scotland’s enterprise community was devolved, he was a director of Enterprise Ayrshire. He took on a nationwide position as chair of the Well being Training Board for Scotland the place his energetic management of campaigns, notably round smoking and medicines, led to him being awarded a CBE in 2000 for providers to well being in Scotland.
David was additionally made chairman in Scotland of the Nationwide Lottery’s New Alternatives Fund. Initially the Scottish Land Fund was channelled by means of this route and in 2001 David grew to become its chairman additionally. Whereas he definitely had no land reform background, he embraced the trigger along with his traditional enthusiasm and have become a significant ally to communities, notably within the islands, which have been searching for to purchase their very own land.
The largest of those buy-outs was in South Uist. Angus Macmillan, who led its buy from an absentee syndicate, recollects: “The negotiations have been intensive, however David`s dedication and perseverance ensured that the funds and construction have been agreed. This was equally true of different buyouts main buy-outs, like Gigha and North Harris, that have been concluded in these early years”. When the Fund closed in 2006, it had distributed £13.9m and David had turn out to be a quiet hero of the land reform motion.
He introduced the identical traits to the numerous different public roles he fulfilled by means of such organisations because the Princess Royal Belief for Carers and and the Prince’s Scottish Youth Enterprise Belief. Amidst all his pursuits, he made time to steer a properly balanced life. Golf at West Kilbride and journey, ideally on cruise ships, have been amongst his firmest diary commitments. He and Moira have been an incredible, sociable couple for whom life was by no means uninteresting.
I acquired to know David by means of being MP for Cunninghame North the place my comrades typically assumed him to be hostile, largely on the grounds that he lived in an enormous home in West Kilbride. From the primary time I met him, nothing may have been farther from the reality. He was sociable, open-minded, nice firm, keen about any position by which he was concerned, shrewd in enterprise and recommendation, and intensely loyal to pals.
David is survived by Moira who cared for him at dwelling in West Kilbride by means of a protracted and harrowing sickness and to whom sympathy is prolonged.
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