Jesús de Polanco
Encyclopedia
Jesús Polanco Gutiérrez, also known as Jesús de Polanco (November 7, 1929 – July 21, 2007) was a businessman from Spain
who built a considerable media empire. In 2005, he was ranked at number 210 in Forbes
World's Richest People list, and was number 258 in 2006.
, Polanco was estimated to own 64% of the Prisa group
, a conglomerate which includes El País; the radio channel Cadena SER
; the TV channel Cuatro (TV), the digital TV platform Digital+ (including Canal+
), which has a monopoly on Spain's digital TV and a number of radio channels and local televisions. Prisa also had important interests in editing books and owned the Editorial Santillana, Ediciones El País, El País Aguilar Alfaguara, Altea
, Tiendas Crisol, Tauris
and Richmon Publishing. His nickname became 'Jesús del Gran Poder' for his role behind the political scene.
Polanco's media interests were known for being progressive or left-wing. More conservative and clerical rivals in the media, such as the newspapers ABC
and El Mundo
or the radio station COPE, have at times accused Polanco's related media of having a monopoly on Spanish information and being capable of presenting biased
reporting. Some of these have also accused PRISA
of influencing public opinion against the People's Party
(PP) government's management and response to the Madrid train bomb attacks of March 11, 2004. The People's Party, led into the campaign by Mariano Rajoy
, ultimately lost the 2004 Spanish elections
to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE), led by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
.
In 2005 Prisa asked the Spanish Government for a license to transform the pay TV channel Canal+
into an open channel. The Government conceded this license and Cuatro (TV) channel started broadcasting in November 2005. Subsequently, opposition was expressed about the lack of dialogue on this subject.
In 2007, responding to the accusations of his media being biased, Polanco said that it was difficult to be impartial when there is a party which would do anything to go back into power. The Spanish People's Party reacted by promoting a boycott of all Polanco's media channels and shareholders. This initiative was criticised by all European democratic parties.
On July 21, 2007 Polanco died at the age of 77 in Madrid.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
who built a considerable media empire. In 2005, he was ranked at number 210 in Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
World's Richest People list, and was number 258 in 2006.
Media holdings
Born in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Polanco was estimated to own 64% of the Prisa group
PRISA
Promotora de Informaciones, S.A is a Spanish media conglomerate. The PRISA group was founded in 1972 by Jesús de Polanco.-Newspapers:* El País, daily newspaper* Diario AS sports newspaper* Cinco Días economic newspaper-Magazines:...
, a conglomerate which includes El País; the radio channel Cadena SER
Cadena SER
La Cadena SER is Spain's premier radio network in terms of both seniority and audience share...
; the TV channel Cuatro (TV), the digital TV platform Digital+ (including Canal+
Canal+ Spain
Canal+ 1, formerly known simply as Canal+ is a Spanish commercial television channel, launched in September 1990 on terrestrial television frequencies. The channel is operated by Sogecable. The main staples of Canal+ 1 are Spanish football, bullfighting and recent movies.In 1997 new channels using...
), which has a monopoly on Spain's digital TV and a number of radio channels and local televisions. Prisa also had important interests in editing books and owned the Editorial Santillana, Ediciones El País, El País Aguilar Alfaguara, Altea
Altea
-External links:*, Portal de Altea*, Good Information-Guide of Altea - in German and English**, Photo gallery of Altea*, spherical Panorama of Altea...
, Tiendas Crisol, Tauris
I.B. Tauris
I. B. Tauris is an independent publishing house with offices in London and New York.-History:I.B.Tauris was founded in 1983. Its declared strategy was to fill the perceived gap between trade publishing houses and university presses—that is, to publish serious but accessible works on international...
and Richmon Publishing. His nickname became 'Jesús del Gran Poder' for his role behind the political scene.
Polanco's media interests were known for being progressive or left-wing. More conservative and clerical rivals in the media, such as the newspapers ABC
Diario ABC
ABC is a Spanish national daily newspaper founded in Madrid on January 1, 1903, by Torcuato Luca de Tena y Alvarez-Ossorio. ABC started as a weekly newspaper until it turned daily in June 1905. Today, ABC is the third largest general-interest newspaper in Spain, and the oldest newspaper still...
and El Mundo
El Mundo (Spain)
El Mundo is the second largest printed and the largest digital daily newspaper in Spain and one of the newspapers of record in that country, with a daily circulation topping 300,000 readers for the printed edition and 24 million unique web visitors per month for the...
or the radio station COPE, have at times accused Polanco's related media of having a monopoly on Spanish information and being capable of presenting biased
Media bias
Media bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
reporting. Some of these have also accused PRISA
PRISA
Promotora de Informaciones, S.A is a Spanish media conglomerate. The PRISA group was founded in 1972 by Jesús de Polanco.-Newspapers:* El País, daily newspaper* Diario AS sports newspaper* Cinco Días economic newspaper-Magazines:...
of influencing public opinion against the People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
(PP) government's management and response to the Madrid train bomb attacks of March 11, 2004. The People's Party, led into the campaign by Mariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy Brey is a Spanish People's Party politician and is the Prime Minister-elect since 20 November 2011. He will be sworn into office in mid-December 2011....
, ultimately lost the 2004 Spanish elections
Spanish legislative election, 2004
Legislative elections were held in Spain on 14 March 2004. At stake were all 350 seats in the lower house of the Cortes Generales, the Congress of Deputies, and 208 seats in upper house, the Senate. The governing People's Party was led into the campaign by Mariano Rajoy, successor to outgoing...
to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSOE), led by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party . He was elected for two terms as Prime Minister of Spain, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. On 2 April 2011 he announced he will not stand for re-election in 2012...
.
In 2005 Prisa asked the Spanish Government for a license to transform the pay TV channel Canal+
Canal+ Spain
Canal+ 1, formerly known simply as Canal+ is a Spanish commercial television channel, launched in September 1990 on terrestrial television frequencies. The channel is operated by Sogecable. The main staples of Canal+ 1 are Spanish football, bullfighting and recent movies.In 1997 new channels using...
into an open channel. The Government conceded this license and Cuatro (TV) channel started broadcasting in November 2005. Subsequently, opposition was expressed about the lack of dialogue on this subject.
In 2007, responding to the accusations of his media being biased, Polanco said that it was difficult to be impartial when there is a party which would do anything to go back into power. The Spanish People's Party reacted by promoting a boycott of all Polanco's media channels and shareholders. This initiative was criticised by all European democratic parties.
On July 21, 2007 Polanco died at the age of 77 in Madrid.