On 21 January 2014, the Board of Directors unanimously approved Internal Rules of Conduct in the Securities Market, which replace the Internal Code of Conduct in Securities Market in force until that data. All people in the organisation affected were informed, and the Rules are published on the VOCENTO website. These Rules cover personal transactions, inside information, transactions with related parties and treasury stock. The Corporate Compliance Unit, which reports to the Audit and Compliance Committee, regularly updates the Rules and monitors compliance with them.
At VOCENTO, in accordance with the Internal Rules of Conduct in the Securities Market, prioritizes the target of complying with all the principles of transparency, accuracy, speed, equality and symmetry when disclosing information. The Investor Relations Department of VOCENTO is responsible for relations with shareholders, investors, financial analysts and official bodies. Via the work of this department, we keep the financial community informed about the performance of the businesses, the main quarterly indicators and VOCENTO’s strategy.
The leading channel of information for reaching this community is the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (“CNMV”), where VOCENTO publishes relevant facts on the website. VOCENTO provides information of interest to shareholders and investors on its corporate website, making sure to publish this information rapidly and make it available for later access, as transparency is the main concern for our relations with the markets and with the general public. This website contains information about the composition of the group and the various business units, relevant facts sent to the CNMV, quarterly and annual results, and other information of interest (such as the share price, information about the Board and its members, etc.).
The Shareholder Office responds to any concerns that shareholders may raise via various channels: telephone, email, post and the web site. In 2014, a total of 57 contacts were made with this office.
To organise the General Shareholder Meeting, the company keeps a registry of the proxy votes received from the shareholders and responds to any query by telephone or email about the Meeting (documentation, complimentary gifts, attendance). There were 22 contacts made by telephone, email or post in 2014. In addition, VOCENTO has established a shareholder forum on its website. The Forum is not a channel for communicating between the Company and its shareholders but is designed to facilitate communications between shareholders about the Shareholding Meeting.
Analysts are a key factor when communicating to the financial community. The Investor Relations Department provides permanent, individualized service to any consultations from analysts about VOCENTO.
The publication of results, the disclosure of relevant facts, or news in the press about different businesses are all reasons for communicating with analysts. Likewise, on a quarterly basis, in accordance with legislation, results are published, followed by a conference call where analysts have the opportunity to ask any question about the financial and operating performance of the company.
To keep the investment community informed, VOCENTO is very active in participating in forums and seminars in Spain and overseas with institutional investors. On a regular basis, one-on-one meetings are organised with these investors to keep them up to date with our strategic messages. In total, during 2014, VOCENTO participated in 12 forums and met a total of 68 institutional investors.
When meetings with these investors and analysts are organised to discuss the performance of VOCENTO or other issues of interest and to make sure that they have the information they need, nevertheless the principle of equal treatment and conditions for all shareholders is respected at all times and at no times are there conflicts of interest.
The Department of HR and Organization has a matrix-based structure, with HR managers for geographical regions (North, South and South-Levante) as well as at the local level in various companies, as well as other managers for horizontal issues (Compensation and Development, Information and Control, Organization, Payroll, Training, Recruitment, and Prevention of Risks in the Workplace).
When there is a vacancy at VOCENTO, any vacant position is first offered internally, informing employees and managers of the company on the portal. If the vacancy is not filled, an external selection procedure is undertaken. The education, profile and experience required depend on the position, although most profiles require degrees.
Vocento has a homogenous procedure to identify its training needs. The various plans for each business unit are based on the following general principles:
The Group has a Performance Management System that is associated with variable compensation, for directors, managers and heads of teams (about 10% of the workforce). Its main aim is to ensure there is a systematic process for:
Reward the performance of each professional in a differentiated way, with more to the greatest contributor, determining the potential for promotions or changes in role for each person.
In addition, there is a system of Compensation for Sales Personnel which aims to incentivize sales (90% of the variable component has quantitative targets), and improve performance in line with the values of VOCENTO (10% is linked to qualitative targets).
There is no general policy of personal development, but specific projects are undertaken to identify the needs of the various groups.
VOCENTO does not have a specific policy of non-discrimination or diversity, although it operates using these principles. Women represent around 40% of the workforce. There is no policy for hiring disadvantaged groups, although it complies with the legislation on the disabled at those companies whose characteristics require it.
Each group company has a corresponding Prevention Plan that includes the policy, resources and responsibilities that have been allocated to preventing risks in the workplace. All staff receive regular training about risks in the workplace and have access to the health monitoring actions established in the legislation, according to the risks of their position. The Madrid office also has a healthcare worker for workers who need assistance.
VOCENTO does not currently have a policy on the work-life balance, although a large number of employees, especially women, work a reduced working day to care for children or the elderly (around 4.9% of the total workforce). Besides this, depending on the area and level of responsibility, personalised or general flexible working hours can be established, especially in the corporate area.
VOCENTO has an Employee Portal where information of interest is published. In addition, on a monthly basis employees receive an internal newsletter, where they can make their suggestions.
On a regular basis, psychosocial tests are undertaken, in accordance with the legislation on Prevention of Risks in the Workplace, and whenever this is requested by workers or their representatives. Workers have the corresponding channels for representation (delegated employees, works council), for those cases covered by the legislation. Complaints and suggestions from employees are received from these delegates, or directly by the local or central Human Resources teams.
The level of unionisation varies depending on the region, the size of the company and its activity. The most represented unions are UGT and Comisiones Obreras. There also independent candidates and minority unions.
Participation is in accordance with the terms of current legislation.
In 2014, there were no major redundancy programmes or workforce reductions.
In December, Vocento launched Vocento Media Lab, a laboratory for innovation, training and experimentation. The lab is focused on training the company’s journalists and teams in the new digital environment, in cultural transformation, and in strengthening our connections to the world of start-ups and external Spanish and international talent in the technology space.
In 2014, the new Vocento Media Lab began its programme of data journalism with an immersion course for 20 journalists and designers from ABC, Colpisa and regional newspapers, of 20 hours, followed by another course for around twenty journalists in March. The programme aims to train journalists and their technical teams in handling and processing data and in visualizing data and preparing information and services that are useful to our readers.
In 2015, Vocento Media Lab will focus its actions on new audiovisual narratives, social network strategies, and the design of products for mobile platforms, and while also lead internal efforts to experiment with and develop agile methodologies for designing and developing products. In addition, its programmes includes holding expert forums in the industry, in key areas such as SEO for mobile and social media, and days with external talent such as start-ups and in areas that have been identified as priorities for innovation and digital transformation.
Under the brand Innova+, in October 2012 a new editorial product was launched by the Central Newsroom at Vocento for all the regional newspapers. The product is a monthly print supplement and a multimedia online space containing differentiated information that is updated on a daily basis. The focus of the publication is on innovation at companies and its results, especially in Spain. Innovation and technology are closely connected, and much of the content looks at these areas. The sections in which innovation is explored are: companies, scientific research, entrepreneurs, and Internet and gadgets. The product has a presence on twitter: @innova_mas
The Vocento Foundation was established more than 25 years ago, with the aim of undertaking various activities which offer society and Vocento’s readers an attractive, plural and engaged look at all the different issues in today’s political, social, economic, historic and cultural reality in Spain. The cooperation of all VOCENTO’s newspapers is essential, who provide their name to the various Cultural Workshops of the Foundation. This synergy enables these Workshops to optimize their impact, using the infrastructure of the newspapers in each province to cover all the various events. In exchange, the newspapers are able to offer their readers in every province the opportunity of participating in the debates, to reflect and to take part in these events.
One of the most important initiatives that the Vocento Foundation undertook in 2014 was the organisation of the IV Future in Spanish event. This conference, which is based on the principle of commitment to citizens and readers, provides an important opportunity to reflect about the many possibilities of the Spanish language, which is spoken by hundreds of millions of people on two continents. In the 2014 event, Future in Spanish was held in Logroño, Granada, Valladolid and Valencia, and attracted more than two million visits from the portals of Vocento’s newspapers, which covered the meetings.
The most popular activities are the conferences. In 2014, 45,200 people attended and political personalities including José María Michavilla, Esperanza Aguirre, Ignacio González, Jesús Posadas and writers such as Julia Navarro and Fernando García de Cortázar participated. Music was represented by Fernando Velázquez and the group “Maruri y Jones” who presented their disc “Arpegione”, shortly before launching it at the Wiener Musikverein in Vienna.
Economists who participated included prestigious professors Ricardo García Cárcel, Ricardo Martín de la Guardia and Ferrán Gallego.
The Vocento Foundation is also involved in two other major projects?
The ABC brand has 111 years of history behind it and has always been in the vanguard. The Master’s in Journalism is professional and has been created with the academic support of the Complutense University of Madrid, and is the ideal space for future journalists to learn the literary, ethical and technological skills needed to exercise a brilliant profession in a sector that is undergoing exciting change. More than 340 students have benefited from the Master’s in these 25 years, and nearly 70 of them work at ABC and Vocento media.
The El Correo-UPV/EHU Master’s in Multimedia Journalism is an official degree which is valid across Spain and in the EU, in accordance with the criteria of the Bologna Declaration. Its aim is to train the young professionals that are needed by the dynamic companies in the sector today. Students learn to perform in all forms of media, including the press, radio, television and online.
The El Correo-UPV/EHU Master’s in Multimedia Journalism is delivered in cooperation with the Basque Public University, beginning in 1988-89; it is the second oldest such course in Spain, and has been ranked as one of the highest rated in the journalism area.
The ABC collection consists of around 200,000 original drawings dating from 1891 to now. In 2014, 112,281 pieces were listed, of which 12,474 have been catalogued and digitalized. In addition, there is a permanent work of reviewing and restoration (783 works were restored in the year). The ABC Museum has carried out complete Programme of Exhibitions of its own resources and of other collections of drawing and illustrations.
Juan Berrio exhibited Cuaderno de frases encontradas complemented by a blog of drawings made in the street and was so successful that a book was launched. With the title Eulogio Varela. Modernismo y modernidad, an exhibition of the presenter of art nouveau in Madrid was organised. Pensar con las manos was an innovative form of show that displayed the work of the illustrators -Pep Carrió and Isidro Ferrer- using an iPad to recognise the piece on show. In Shakespeare, danzas y regocijos Pablo Márquez paid tribute to the Bard, in the year of his 450th anniversary. The 0 room hosted a show exploring the creation of the Edelvives publications El pájaro enjaulado de Javier Zabala; Rébecca Dautremer y Ana Juan and Madama Butterfly de Benjamin Lacombe. In its fourth year, the Conexiones programme continued to join the Collections of Banco Santander and ABC in the projects Ruinas graves by Juan López and Ensayos para una gran obra by José Luis Serzo. In the summer the world of the samurais and Japan was recreated with Evangelion y las katanas japonesas. The Spanish paintings of Velázquez were an inspiration in the exhibition Drawing Las Meninas by Javier Olivares. At Christmas the Madrid prints from the beginning of the last century were displayed, in Francisco Sancha, el alma de la calle as well as the graphic material for the Fesser films Los intríngulis de Mortadelo y Filemón contra ‘Jimmy el cachondo’.
The ABC Museum organized, commissioned and produced exhibitions for other renowned cultural institutions in Spain and Europe. The Caja Granada Puerta Real hosted the shows Gente Menuda. Dibujos para un gran suplemento infantil and Francisco López Rubio. Maestro de la línea clara. Another example was the exhibition Greguerías de Ramón Gómez de la Serna which went to Paris and Brussels after the Cervantes Institutes of the Czech Republic and Poland. The musuem Lozano Sidro de Priego de Córdoba has dedicated a space until 2018 for an ABC Museum room, with 5 annual exhibitions starting with Adolfo Lozano Sidro in the ABC Collection.
The exhibitions activity of the Museum was complemented by a wide programme of cultural activities for various types of public. Yearly and quarterly Introduction to drawing classes were specifically created for the elderly, as well as workshops, round tables and meetings for professionals in the illustration sector (workshops on calligraphy, typesetting, bookplates, manga, etc.); free visits to exhibitions to help understand and publicised them; and there was a continuing programme of family and children’s events, including the Saturday club (gymkhanas, history of art, workshops on illustration and storytelling), as well as the Summer Drawing camp. Dibujamadrid has become one of the key programmes of the ABC Museum, a series of talks and visits in order to draw some of the best known places in the city. For the first time, thanks to the cooperation of AECID, this was also carried out in parallel in Guatemala, with drawings exhibited in the Cultural Centre in Spain and in the ABC Museum. As well as educational activities, there were three popular events for the Madrid public; the concerts of the Fundación Albéniz on Tuesday evenings in the winter, the Drawing and Illustration Week in May, and the Ilustrísima salon held every Christmas.
ABC Solidario awards.
The donation of advertising space and other charitable actions were measured by LBG in 2014.
Advertising space for initiatives such as Donate Blood, from Médicos sin Frontera, Manos Unidas, Jóvenes y Desarrollo, Campaña Alia2, Amnesty International, CUDECA Charity Golf match, Campaña Walkthlon and others
Logistical support and supplies for CUDECA, Casa Ronald McDonald and other non-profit organisations.
Charitable walk organized by El Comercio for the Spanish Cancer Association.
V Family Race, III Family Walk and II Family Race in various locations.
Cooperation with Caritas Álava, food banks in Bilbao and other non-profit entities.
Cooperation in events and campaigns for more than thirty non-profit entities locally and nationally, donating advertising space and logistical support for events, participation and other forms of support.
Free advertising for NGOs including Etiopía Utopía, Médicus Mundi, Médicos sin Fronteras, Red Cross, Cáritas, Unicef and Acnur.
Advertising activities and providing services such as editorial support, organising events and providing newspaper material to more than twenty organisations.
Family Day. Work with the Red Cross. Charitable padel tennis tournament for autism in Valladolid. Canal Solidarios awards. Donation of toys to the Fundación Ambuibérica.
Cooperation with Asociación Oncológica de Extremadura, Aspaceba, Valle del Jerte cancer walk. “Contigo por la infancia”, people’s marathon in Badajoz. Padel tennis tournament for research into Rett syndrome. Advertising space for Manos Unidas, Feaps, Cocemfe, Asociación triángulo and others.
Corazón Solidario award.
Vocento’s newspapers received various awards in 2014, including:
European Newspaper Award
Recognised at the NH Journalism Design Awards
Innova+, recognised at the VII edition of the Tecnalia journalism awards
Salud Revista.es received the IBSA Internacional award
Best newspaper design Spain and Portugal 2014 from the Spanish chapter of the Society for News Design (SINDE)
Recognised at the NH Journalism Design Awards
Honorary members of DYA road assistance association
Annual award from the Guipuzcoa association for Epilepsy
Recognised at the NH Journalism Design Awards with three medals
European Newspaper Award
Recognised at the NH Journalism Design Awards
Prize for best HR management
Honorary Ear of Wheat from Seminci (International Cinema Week)
The patio of the e-Lea centre in Urueña is dedicated to El Norte
Prize for Business Excellence from the Chamber of Commerce of Segovia
Prize for photograph of Palencia from the provincial deputation
Prize for the E-volución supplement of El Norte from the IT Engineers College of Burgos
Cecale de Oro from the Business Federation of Castilla y León
Ambassador of the Calderón de la Barca theatre
Premios Solidarios ONCE
Prize from the Chamber of Commerce of LINARES for our 75th anniversary
Prize for journalism about the social economy, CAESA
Prize from the Andalusian mountaineering federation, COLLADO SUR for publicizing mountaineering in the written press to IDEAL JAÉN writing about hikes in Jaén.
Prizes for contributors to LA RIOJA in 2014: Roberto González Lastra: Finalist in the Premio Seguridad Vial línea directa. Finalist in the José Lumbreras Pino Award for journalism.
Recognised at the NH Journalism Design Awards
“7 DÍAS YECLA” and “7 DÍAS JUMILLA” awarded by local newspapers in these towns to La Verdad for its extensive track record in standing up for the interests of their citizens.
Recognition from Radio MARCA
Amanda Salazar, contributor to SUR, received the ‘Women in Communication’ award from the provincial deputation of Málaga
Javier Almellones, contributor to SUR, received in January 2014 the International Communication and Tourism Prize for Journalism, “Sol de Oro”
Fernando Belzunce, Carlos Caneiro and Iván Manzanas won at Editors Labs
UTECA: Established in February 1998, the Unión de Televisiones Comerciales Asociadas (UTECA) represents and defends the common interests of commercial television stations in Spain, Europe and internationally. It currently includes as members: Atresmedia, Mediaset España, Net TV and Veo.
AEDE: The Asociación de Editores de Diarios Españoles represents the Spanish press in various technology platforms at Spanish, European and international institutions.
European Publishers Council: A group comprising senior representatives of newspaper and magazine publishers in Europe. Its general aim is to encourage the appropriate preparation of laws for the media industry.
WAN-INFRA: The global press organization, representing over 18,000 publications, 15,000 websites and around 3,000 companies in over 120 countries.
ENPA: ENPA works to represent its members and publishers who are investing and developing business models that offer readers new and interesting ways for accessing information and content in print and in digital
ARI: This is the association of publishers of magazines of any format and frequency for the general public. By working together, at a time of change in the sector, publishers are able to develop new projects.
APD: The Asociación para el Progreso de la Dirección (APD) is a private, independent non-profit entity that has an international mission to train and inform company managers and business people in activities including sharing know-how, training and professional development.
MMA: The Marketing Mobile Association (MMA) is the main global non-profit association for all agents in the value chain of mobile marketing, with more than 700 members in over 50 countries.
Príncipe de Asturias Foundation
Guggenheim Museum
Círculo de Empresarios
Instituto de la Empresa Familiar
Dircom: Asociación de Directivos de Comunicación
Club Financiero de Bilbao
Círculo de Empresarios Vascos
Instituto de Auditores Internos de España
Medios On (Spanish association of online media)
OPA (Federation of Organisations of Professionals, Freelancers and Entrepreneurs)
The London Benchmarking Group (LBG) model measures the social actions of companies and values the various initiatives in monetary terms, including those actions that involve donations both in money and in kind, the time dedicated by employees and managers, etc.
VOCENTO has been part of the LBG since 2013 and began the process of measuring its social actions (of the corporation and of its publications) in 2014. It is the only media company to form part of this model for measuring social actions.
In this, the first year of application of the model to VOCENTO, we have assessed for the first time our social actions, including the contribution by ABC of free or discounted advertising space and donations from Vocento. Although preliminary, this will be replicated in our other titles in 2015, after first identifying their social actions.
