Grupo PRISA Founder, Chairman Passes Away

July 23, 2007 World Screen

MADRID, July 23: Jesus de Polanco, the founder and chairman
of the Spanish media giant Grupo PRISA, passed away this weekend. He was 77.

Born in Madrid, de Polanco founded Editorial Santillana in
1958 and built it into Grupo PRISA. Among his most notable achievements was
founding El País, the leading Spanish
daily, in 1970s, helping the country’s transition to democracy after General
Francisco Franco’s rule.

His son Ignacio Polanco now assumes chairmanship of Grupo
PRISA. The 52-year-old is chairman of Timón S.A. and of Promotora de
Publicaciones, which hold the majority shares in Prisa.