SEPI Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales

To mark the 75th anniversary of the incorporation of the news agency AGENCIA EFE a total of 81 events were organized, of which 22 took place in Madrid, 36 in different autonomous communities, 21 in America, 1 in Portugal, and another one in Andorra.

The first to take place was the inauguration of the new head office in Madrid of the news agency; located in a building at the North part, at which EFE occupies 15 out of its 18 floors, while the last happened in Madrid, the closing concert which was organized at the National Auditorium, with the granting of the first Cultural Awards Agencia EFE.

Of the 81 events, 67 are exhibitions. Ten of them took place in Madrid; among them stand out the main one on the history of Agencia EFE and on Spanish journalism, which took place at the Casa del Lector (Espacio Creativo y Cultural Matadero), that dedicated to bulls which, during the San Isidro festivities, showed at the Las Ventas bullring the personalities who have attended bullfights, and that regarding the history of the Goya Awards, which was the background for the 29th series of these film industry prizes. On the other hand, 34 exhibitions have been organized in different Spanish regions, 21 in America, 1 in Portugal, and another one in Andorra.

Book dedicated to the 75th anniversary

A book was also published, including the best photographs submitted by EFE during these 75 years, together with 75 articles and greetings from, among others, the former Spanish king Juan Carlos I; the current Spanish Prime Minister, Mr. Mariano Rajoy; the current US President, Mr. Barack Obama; the current Bolivian President, Mr. Evo Morales, and the former Brazil President, Mr. Luis Inazio Lula da Silva.

A book has also been published which, through 100 photographs, tells the life of the new king, Felipe VI, together with articles from important Spanish writers and journalists who have played a key role or have had a close look at the king’s life.

Summer courses have taken place at the Universidad Complutense, at the El Escorial, and at the UIMP in Santander; EFE has been the host at the most important assemblies of news agencies: MINDS and EANA, in Madrid, and AMAN, in Alicante; the Minister of Economics and Competitiveness Mr. Luis De Guindos inaugurated the Leaders Forum, a platform setup by EFE which has continued during all the year; the ONCE and ONLAE lotteries have both dedicated draws to EFE’s anniversary, and CORREOS has dedicated one commemorative stamp and postmark to this event.

In all these ceremonies, including the visitors to the different exhibitions in Spain and in America, participated more than 300,000 persons, who were witnesses of the great documental wealth of EFE’s photographic archives.

Institutional presence

The ceremonies were attended by the then Crown Prince D. Felipe and by his wife Doña Letizia, who inaugurated the agency’s new head offices in Madrid, as well as by the then kings of Spain, D. Juan Carlos I and by his wife Doña Sofía, who inaugurated the main exhibition at Casa del Lector, which during eight months has shown EFE’s history of the last 75 years, but also that of Spanish journalism and Spain’s evolution during these seven and a half decades.

During these twelve months of commemorative events, numerous personalities from the political, sports, banking, economics, research, academia, health, worlds have been present. From the President of Government, Mr. Mariano Rajoy and the Vice President, Ms. Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, to such Ministers as Mr. Eduardo Morenés, Ms. Ana Pastor, Ms. Ana Mato, Mr. Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, or Mr. Luis de Guindos; the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Jesús Posada; the Presidents of the regional Governments of Madrid, the Basque Country, Navarre, Galicia, La Rioja, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Aragón, Asturias; the Vice Presidents of Catalonia, the Canary Islands, and of Cantabria; around a score of mayors of provincial capitals; actors and actresses such as Tina Sainz, Pepón Nieto, Magüi Mira, Alvaro de Luna, Javier Gurruchaga, Anabel Alonso, Maribel Ayuso, Miriam Díaz Aroca, Pepe Viyuela; sportsmen and sportswomen such as Carolina Marín, Ona Carbonell, Theresa Zabell, Conchita Martínez, Blanca Fernández Ochoa, María José Rienda, Miriam Blasco, Eva Calvo Eva Rueda, Sagrario Aguado, Sara Hurtado, Adrián Díaz, Doreste, Jorge Garbajosa, Thaïs Enriquez, Bahamontes, or Butragueño; designers such as Rosa Clará or Purificación García; bullfighter such as Juan José Padilla or Pepín Liria, and Chairmen and Senior Managers from the most important Spanish companies.

In America there was also a numerous representation of politicians (Mr. Evo Morales joined the events for the anniversary and received EFE’s Chairman), bankers, entrepreneurs, and personalities from all social fields; cartoonists such as Quino, chefs such as Mr. Diego Muñoz, the photographer Ms. Morgana Vargas Llosa or Ms. María Kodama, Borges’ widow.

All the activities have entailed a media presence of more than 600 pages on printed and digital dailies; several hours of presence in both national and regional television and radio broadcasts, without including into these figures the significant presence which the activities for commemorating EFE’s 75th anniversary had in Latin American media and in the US Hispanics media.

The national news programs of RTVE and of the TV stations A3Media and Mediaset have reflected EFE’s events, and some have dedicated special programs to the commemorations, such as RTVE’s program Informe Semanal dedicated to telling about EFE’s past and future in connection with its 75th anniversary.

All the territorial news programs in the different regions in Spain have included news items about EFE’s activities within their respective territories, as well as the regional television channels, in some cases with interviews to EFE’s Chairman in prime-rate programs, such as Bos Días at the TVG, reports in TV3, ETB, and in Canal Sur, among others. More than 40 appearances have taken place within the regional televisions’ scope.

The greatest image campaign in EFE’s history

National and regional radio stations dedicated time to EFE’s events. In all the regional stations, both those of RNE and those of SER, COPE and ONDA CERO EFE’s national or local officers were interviewed in regard to the activities carried out in their respective regions, but also in national-scope programs of RNE and Radio3 there have been interviews and participation in debates for telling about these 75 years in EFE’s life and about its future. In total, EFE has been present around one hundred times on the waves in connection with its 75th anniversary.

This has been, without any doubt, the greatest image campaign carried out by EFE in its 75 years of history. If it had had to pay for all that media presence, it would have had to pay more than 7 M€ (1.5 M€ for pages on printed and digital media; 1.4 M€ for spots on national and regional radio stations; and 4.3 M€ for spots on national and regional television stations).

Sponsors

The most important Spanish institutions, companies, and financial institutions have taken part as sponsors in the events for EFE’s 75th anniversary: regional Governments, city councils, provincial Governments, institutional entities abroad, companies and financial institutions have sponsored EFE’s events. Five airlines have sponsored travelling expenses.

In total, the number of sponsors has been of near 100, among which stand out the following: Acciona, Bankia, Caixa Bank, Coca Cola, Canon, FCC, Ferrovial, Aquae Fundación, Fundación Banco de Santander, Gas Natural Fenosa, HP, Iberdrola, Indra, Isolux Corsán, MAPFRE, Mahou San Miguel, Red Eléctrica Española, Renfe, Repsol, Telefónica, UNIR.

Among the sponsors, collaborators and benefactors can be found also the following: Abertis; ADIF; Aguas de Valencia; Air Europa; Iberia; Altadis; FP Burgos; SPCJ; ayuntamientos de Barcelona, Bilbao, Burgos, Valencia, Logroño, Santander y Zaragoza; La Bastilla catering; Banco de Sabadell; BBVA; Banco Popular; bodegas Enate, Torres, San Gabriel y Palacio de Viana; Consejo de denominación de origen Rioja; Comunidad de Madrid; el Consorci de Barcelona; DPS, Diputación Foral de Vizcaya; Diputación de Valladolid; ENDESA; Grupo DAMM; Escuela Diocesana María Madre; Estructure Media Systems; EPA; Freixenet; Fundaciones de Caja Rioja, EDP, Caja Avila, Caja Murcia; Gobierno de Aragón, La Rioja y Navarra; Tio Pepe; Gremi de Patisseria de Barcelona y provincia; Grupos COFARES, Artura, Fuertes y GOL; Hasenkamp; Hendrick’s; Ibercaja; ICAV; Inditex; Kabuki; KPMG; Kutxabank; Maserati; Meliá; Melquior; Mutua Madrileña; Neupic; Novartis; Obra social La Caixa; Gourmet Paradis; Parlamento de La Rioja; Quesos el bosquejo; Ron Barceló; La Rocha; Terras Gaudas; Grupo Trasgsa; Unicaja Obra Social; Vicente Gandía, and SEPI, among others.

Also collaborated such media as Atresmedia, Cadena SER, Canal Sur, COPE, RTVE and Telemadrid.

Photos: AGENCIA EFE.

Agencia EFE and Grupo SEPI

La AGENCIA EFE belongs to Grupo SEPI, a corporate holding which includes a total of 16 state-owned companies in which it has direct, majority shareholding participations, with a final workforce of more than 74,000 professionals in 2013; the Spanish state-owned television and radio corporation, Corporación Radiotelevisión Española, which is attached to SEPI, and one public foundation. Equally, SEPI has direct minority shareholdings in a further ten companies, and indirect shareholdings in more than one hundred companies.