After the revolution revealed last Friday about Mediaset’s veto of 13 of its best-known faces, comes the next step: the content and ethical principles that govern its workers and its programs from today.

Since the departure of Paolo Vasile was announced, the run run that changes were going to come to the group has been a constant. However, it has not been until now, one month after the arrival of Alessandro Salem, the new CEO of Mediaset, when they have materialized. The new leadership of the communication group wants to root out some of the practices that have generated the most problems in recent years.

EL MUNDO has had exclusive access to the new Code of Ethics by which all of Mediaset España will be governed, approved by the Board of Directors on January 30 and which has been personally promoted by Salem. A Code that warns that “no breach of it will be tolerated” and that if it is done it will be considered “labor misconduct” sanctioned as such. And although the new Code of Ethics clearly specifies that “it will affect all employees, collaborators, clients, suppliers and other third parties that maintain professional relations with Mediaset España”, there is a programme, some presenters and some collaborators who will be affected more than others. no other: Save me.

The document, which the group has already sent to all internal and external employees and which comes into force today, maintains all the sections of the previous Code of Ethics approved on December 15, 2011, but adds a new one that is undoubtedly reflection of the new path that Mediaset wants to take after the departure of Vasile and that adds to the historic decision to remove 13 of the characters who for years have given more content to Telecinco, such as Rocío Carrasco, José Ortega Cano or Bárbara Rey, but also more headaches.

The point Guiding principles in entertainment programs is a heading that has not existed during the 12 years that the ethics of the group was governed by the previous Code. According to this section, the more than usual speeches by Jorge Javier Vázquez on politics or ideologies will not happen again, among many other frequent things in Sálvame, such as running away from a live show or attacking other programs on the chain.

“Entertainment programs”, says the first point of this section, “are just that, entertainment and, therefore, their presenters and collaborators must refrain from issuing opinions, preferences or political comments within the program”. It will only be allowed in those programs that have a specific section on political news -for example, El Programa de Ana Rosa-. Although, except in this section, “the rule is the same”.

They must not attack or criticize any other program of the company or its presenters and collaborators

In other words, The Ana Rosa Program, which has a political news table at the beginning of the program, may issue opinions or comments of a political nature, but in the events table or in the social chronicle table they are totally prohibited. The most affected, without a doubt, are pure entertainment programs such as Sálvame, Viernes Deluxe, Got Talent, Survivors, 25 Words, etc. In short, in all Mediaset programs except the News and The Ana Rosa Program.

However, if there is an entertainment program on Telecinco that issues these opinions that is now prohibited by the Code of Ethics, that is Sálvame. One of the last occurred just two weeks ago when Jorge Javier Vázquez charged against “the seedy manipulation” of the Telemadrid News at the expense of Isabel Díaz Ayuso. “The Telemadrid newscasts should be taught at the university as an example of shabby manipulation (…) The only thing left is for them to take Ayuso out wrapped in the smoke of a botafumeiro,” said the presenter. From today, this will not be able to happen again.

But this is not the only change that directly affects Sálvame, since the Salem Code of Ethics adds eight more points of habitual practices in the La Fábrica de la Tele program and that are totally prohibited and that will be difficult to comply with, since many of them represent the essence of Sálvame.

Presenters and collaborators of Mediaset programs “must not attack or criticize any other company program or its presenters and collaborators.” The war between the producer of Sálvame and the producer of El Programa de Ana Rosa has been and has been made visible, especially as a result of the docuseries by Rocío Carrasco, in which Sálvame sided with the daughter of Rocío Jurado, while collaborators and editors of El Programa de Ana Rosa were placed on the other side. This generated a war that Sálvame showed on many occasions, even going so far as to ask Jorge Javier Vázquez live to the directors of Mediaset that he be treated with the same care as Ana Rosa Quintana.

The third point is an appeal “especially” to the presenters of the group’s programs, but also to the collaborators, and it is also a common practice in Sálvame: you cannot leave the program live without just cause. If done, “it will be considered final for contractual purposes.” Let’s remember the famous live shows of Paz Padilla, although she has returned to her contractual relationship with Mediaset, Belén Esteban or Lydia Lozano, among many other collaborators. Although this is also a practice seen among collaborators who have participated in Survivors or other realities.

In addition, the presenters “must lead and order” the course of the program, “immediately stopping any initiative of any collaborator or participant of the program that could give rise to an evident criminal or civil responsibility”. Likewise, the contents of the program, the way in which they are addressed and the expressions used “must be consistent with the time slot in which it is broadcast.” The last time Sálvame was fined for not complying with children’s hours and for covert advertising was last April and the fine amounted to more than 600,000 euros that from now on the producers of the programs will have to pay and not Mediaset, according to the new Code of Ethics.

Nor will it be possible in entertainment programs to reveal personal data of third parties “that are not publicly known”, nor documents that contain their data. Of course, it is forbidden to show images of victims of gender violence or bullying. And, finally, “no advertising statement will be allowed that has not been previously communicated in writing to Publiespaña”. This refers to, for example, a collaborator of a program who wears his brand’s shoes and publicity is made without Publiespaña’s prior knowledge.

Non-compliance will determine, among other consequences, the attribution to the presenter, collaborator and the producer of the possible sanction

What will the non-compliance of some of these prohibitions mean? At the moment, like any norm of Spanish legislation, its ignorance “does not exempt” from its observance and compliance. Second, failure to comply with these measures, specifically those referring to entertainment programs, “will determine, among other consequences, the attribution to the presenter, collaborator and, in any case, to the producer of the possible sanction that the company could receive or of the possible compensation to which it could be sanctioned”. In other words, from now on who pays and who is penalized is the person or producer who breaches the Code of Ethics.

The rest of the principles established by the group continue to be the same as those approved in 2011 and that are given in the Code of Ethics of any company. Now we will have to see how programs like Sálvame manage rules that almost completely change the daily development of the format and, in many cases, the personality of those who work on it.

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