Emilio Azcarraga Milmo
President Televisa, Mexico.
Award Motivation
Advancing free media and broadcasting in Mexico.
Award details
Emilio Azcárraga Milmo was presented with the Gold Mercury Award in 1977 for his contribution to Global Culture. He was a Mexican businessman and the former President of Televisa, the Mexican mass media company. Born in 1930, Milmo’s father was the owner of ‘Radio XEW’, a station that served as a starting block to build the media empire. At 21, he joined his father’s company working as a salesman. His father’s death in 1972 led to Mr Milmo being named Chairman of the Board. Upon his appointment he also renamed the company Televisa and after several years managed to build the company into a media empire. Under his direction he turned Televisa into the world’s largest producer of Spanish broadcast programming. During his leadership he also acquired major Mexican television stations and was actively involved in publishing news stories, advancing video rental and various real estate ventures. The entertainment programs that he chose for Televisa were specifically chosen because they accurately reflected Mexican society, life and culture. Due to his determination and the revolutionary changes he made to Mexican media his leadership style, when reflected back upon, is seen as bold and ambitious. Televisa continues to be the largest mass media company in Latin American today, with his son Emilio Azcárraga Jean serving as President since Mr Milmo’s death in 1997.