Annual report 2014

Societal Indicators

Societal

, Social and Environmental Information

UMG is behind a number of initiatives to encourage the expression

of creative talent. In 2014, the group continued to develop Spinnup, a

platform for young unsigned artists to distribute their music to major

digital music distributors. Located in Sweden, the United Kingdom and

Germany, Spinnup also has a network of scouts who identify the best

artists, to offer them assistance and advice. In exchange for this global

exposure, the artists pay a low annual fee and all royalties are paid

through to them. Two Spinnup artists have now been signed directly to

UMG Sweden and have won several platinum awards.

In 2014, Universal Music Group also introduced Sinfini for Schools, which

offers free educational resources on masterpieces of classical music for

teachers with pupils aged between 11 and 14.

In Brazil, GVT continued its Responsible Internet program in cooperation

with the NGO SaferNet and with CDI (Committee for Democratization

of the Internet). Training sessions were held in São Paolo and Curitiba,

where, due to online resources available on a dedicated platform, young

people were able to learn and develop mobile applications “with a social

impact.”

2.2.1.2.2. Protecting Young Audiences

In 2008 Vivendi adopted a Data and Content Protection Charter, in which

the group states that it respects freedom of expression, while preventing

the spread of unlawful material, particularly with regard to children.

To achieve this balance, Vivendi commits to the following:

promoting methods for choosing or controlling content (filtering tools

and other selection methods);

cooperating actively with the competent authorities in the fight

against illegal content;

promoting ethical standards in support of its activities; and

raising the awareness of parents and children on the uses of new

media.

Vivendi contributes to public debate and participates in different

events related to this topic. For example, for Study Day “Children

online: education in the digital era”, which was held on October 9,

2014 by the University of Poitiers in collaboration with the CEMEA

(Training Centers in Active Education Methods), Vivendi participated in

the round table discussion on the responsibility of citizens, the media

and the government, with regard to children. This conference provided

an opportunity to compare the views of researchers, child and media

specialists with those of content producers, while defining the current

status of national and European regulations on the protection of children.

Existence of a formal commitment to ethics covering content

(production and/or distribution), part of which specifically concerns

protection of young audiences

GRI

UNGC OECD Scope covered

G4-56, DMA PR MSS

Content creation and

distribution aspect

1, 2

II, IV,

VIII

Corporate

Canal+ Group

UMG (9 focus group countries)

GVT

Initiatives aimed at raising the awareness of young users and

their entourage about responsible uses of products and services

GRI

UNGC

OECD Scope covered

G4-PR3,

MSS M4 1, 2

II, IV, VIII

Corporate

Canal+ Group

UMG (9 focus group countries)

GVT

Vivendi’s subsidiaries provide their audiences with a number of tools to

help them master the use of the group’s products and services.

Canal+ Group’s Ethics Charter stipulates that “the channels shall ensure

the protection of children and young people, and to this effect shall

apply a program classification reflecting degrees of appreciation and

appropriateness of programs with regard to the protection of childhood

and youth through the application of corresponding standards.” This

applies to all new media, including on-demand audiovisual media

services.

Canal+ Africa has likewise undertaken to ensure that “its programs

and offshoots of these programs do not breach the rights of children

or young people, and has undertaken to inform its subscribers of any

programs that could harm the sensitivity of children or young people.”

This principle is enshrined in the conventions signed with the

audiovisual regulatory authorities in the following countries: Benin,

Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea Conakry, Ivory

Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Central African Republic, Democratic

Republic of Congo, Senegal and Togo.

In addition, after designing a secure young people’s space in its

VOD Canalplay platform, Canal+ Group designed a derived mobile

application Canalplay Kids in 2014. Parental control is password-

protected and can be set to suit the child’s age and the desired

viewing time through the application. Likewise, Canal+ Africa

subscribers subscribing for content reserved for an adult audience

must enter a confidential parent code to access it.

In Poland, the activity of nc+, on linear television as for on-demand

audiovisual media services, complies with local regulations for the

protection of minors concerning the classification of programs, time

spots and commercials. In October 2014, the nc+ channel was a co-

signatory of a self-regulation agreement covering commercials, along

with the country’s seven other main broadcasters: any advertising

for food and beverages the overconsumption of which could be

considered as unhealthy will no longer be permitted in the time slots

of programs designed for children age 12 or younger.

In addition to complying with local regulations, UMG takes steps to

promote the responsible use of its services.

UMG in the United Kingdom ran a pilot age-rating scheme for video

clips made available on the Youtube and Vevo platforms. Between

October and December 2014, 24 video clips were submitted to the

British Board of Film Classification to be age rated and only one out

of 24 has been rated 18. UMG plans to expand this good practice.

In the United States, along with the RIAA (Recording Industry

Association of America), UMG participates in the “Pause Parent Play”

program, which provides parents with online resources to guide their

choices of media consumption for their families. And in the United

States, as well as in Germany, UMG is partnering with the campaigns

of the RIAA and the IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic

Industry) called “Why Music Matters” and “Playfair” which are

raising the awareness of young audiences regarding the importance

of legal music consumption.

Annual Report 2014