Tsuneo Watanabe, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, will be honoured with the Media Person of the Year Award at this year's Festival.
This award, which pays tribute to a prominent personality from the worldwide media industry, is given in recognition of Tsuneo Watanabe's leadership of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, which operates across a range of media including newspaper, magazine and book publishing, television, radio, film and video production, travel agencies, business school and sports. The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings publish the 133 year-old daily newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's leading broadsheet with a combined morning and evening circulation of approximately 14 million, the highest in the world.
After studying philosophy at Tokyo University, Tsuneo Watanabe (81), joined The Yomiuri Shimbun in 1950 becoming a Political Writer from 1952 to 1968. After just over three years as Chief of the Washington Bureau, two-and-a-half years as Commentary and Analysis Editor and two years as Associate Managing Editor and Political Editor, Watanabe was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 1977 followed by Chairman of the Editorial Board in 1979. Continuing up the ranks, in 1980 he became Managing Director then Senior Executive Director in 1983 before taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief in 1985. In 1987 he moved on to be Senior Vice President followed by President, Editor-in-Chief of The Yomiuri Shimbun in 1991. Watanabe was appointed President and Editor-in-Chief of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings in 2002 before finally taking on the role of Chairman of the Board, Editor-in-Chief in 2004.
"Historically Cannes Lions has looked West when making this most important and prestigious award. This year we are looking East. In recognising Tsuneo Wantanabe, we are honouring a leader who has contributed to building one of the great media organisations in the world, a leader who has the awesome responsibility of publishing the largest circulation newspaper in the world. A leader who has not just embraced press, but also TV, radio and a range of other media and business ventures," said Terry Savage, Executive Chairman of the Festival.
The trophy will be presented to Tsuneo Watanabe during the Press and Cyber Lions Awards Ceremony on evening of Wednesday 20 June, in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes.
About The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings
The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings of Japan is a broadcast, film, press and sports development conglomerate. Following a reorganisation of the company in July 2002, The Yomiuri Shimbun group now comprises of five main businesses, three of which are newspaper companies: The Yomiuri Shimbun, its flagship newspaper headquartered in Tokyo, was founded in 1874 and has the highest circulation in the world boasting of a daily readership exceeding 10 million for the morning editions and almost 4 million for the evening; The Yomiuri Shimbun, Osaka, which began publishing 55 years ago focuses on local communities mainly in the Osaka and Kyoto regions and has an emphasis on fostering Japan's culture and traditions; The Yomiuri Shimbun, Seibu inaugurated in 1964 the newspaper continues to have the largest circulation in Kyushu and neighbouring areas; Chuokoron Shinsha, Inc., a 121 year old publishing house that serves as one of the nation's topmost forums of contemporary issues focusing on producing high quality publications including books and the monthly magazines "Chuokoron" and "Fujin Koron" as well as sponsoring a number of literary prizes to help promote and encourage the nation's literature; and The Yomiuri Giants, founded in 1934, is the nation's first professional and leading baseball team.
Within the five main business entities, there is a broad array of undertakings with more than 170 business affiliates, including radio networks, television (NTV network and CS Nippon Corporation), Yomiuri Land (theme park), and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. The Yomiuri Shimbun also publishes The Daily Yomiuri, an English-language daily in Japan with a circulation of 40,000.
- Ends -
The 54th International Advertising Festival will be held 17-23 June 2007 in Cannes, France.
The International Advertising Festival - Cannes Lions - is the largest gathering of worldwide advertising professionals and advertisers as well as the most prestigious annual advertising awards. Each year, over 10,000 visitors from the advertising and allied industries attend this event to celebrate the best of creativity across all media mix, discuss industry issues and network with one another. Over 25,000 ads from all over the world are showcased and judged at the Festival. Winning companies receive the highly coveted Lion trophy, honouring the most creative TV/cinema, print, outdoor, interactive, radio, sales promotion, integrated advertising, as well as the best media and direct marketing solutions. A unique programme of high-profile seminars, workshops and keynote speakers, organised by some of the biggest names in the industry, are also presented.