Yesterday evening, Vivendi Universal chairman, Jean-Marie Messier stepped up to the stage before a sweltering and packed house at Paris's Zenith theatre to face a 5,000-strong audience of the annual shareholder's meeting and deliver the performance of his life.

Defending himself following weeks of bad publicity, questionable decision making and a 70% drop in his company's stock over the past two years, Messier (whom Fortune magazine once labelled a 'corporate rock star') remained defiant in front of the heated and vocal assembly, which included ousted Canal Plus chief Pierre Lescure as well as protesting Canal Plus staffers and various union groups.

And amid alternating boos, hisses and cries for his resignation which rang from the crowd, there also emerged palpable support for the embattled mogul.

In two important resolutions passed at the tail-end of the evening, the decision to remove Pierre Lescure from the Vivendi Universal board was ratified to a combination of boos and applause.

Another controversial vote, regarding the 55 million stock option package valued at about Euros 2 billion, which has come under fire from shareholders, was, however, shot down. Messier responded with the call for another meeting, in order to attempt to pass the bill before the end of the year, "We can't expect to keep talent in creative domains, without this kind of resolution," he said.

Earlier, after taking time to announce Vivendi Universal's 1st quarter results - which included revenues of Euros 6.8 billion (up 13%), EBITDA of Euros 1.1 billion (up 18%), a 37% rise in operating income to Euros 408 billion and a 27% overall growth in the media and communications businesses - Messier made his prepared remarks to those assembled.

He began by commenting that the year had been "paradoxical" especially with the fluctuating stock market and the complex accounting methods made even more challenging by the change from French to American practice.

"The only response," he said - interrupted by a group heckle of "is for you to resign!" - "is transparency. Our strategy is to be the number one media group in the world and our strategy hasn't changed. Our results are proof that our strategy works."

Messier went on to say that Vivendi Universal has five distinct obligations in the next year: no big acquisitions, lowering debt, working in ameliorating cash flow and daily operations, synergies and franchises.

At Messier's side were his regular team plus Agnes Touraine and Philippe Germond who were, it was announced today, both promoted. Touraine who has been heading up the publishing division will take on the added responsibility of overseeing all content in Europe. Germond will add general manager of technical and strategic distribution to his existing functions.

Throughout Messier's address, cries of "Lescure President" and "Messier Resign" were shouted from the auditorium, but the chairman, despite the oppressive heat, somehow managed to remain cool.

When the floor was opened to questions, the inevitable subject of Lescure's firing was raised by several Canal Plus staffers sporting t-shirts mocked up for the occasion which read "Messier Mega Liar."

Each time Messier responded on his decision to fire Lescure he said it was a decision based solely on financial performance, but in what was considered a sideswipe at Canal, also claimed that the resignation of Canal number 2, Denis Olivennes, was the catalyst which made things move so swiftly.

At one point, Messier remarked, "A company does not belong to one man, not to Pierre Lescure just as Vivendi Universal does not belong to me."

Interestingly, several shareholders then took the floor and asked for Canal Plus to cease and desist with its "hissy fits." The comment was met by more than polite applause.

Messier was criticised vehemently by one shareholder, an economics professor, for not being able to predict the downturn in the market. "You are responsible and guilty of not having seen the deflation coming. You didn't see anything. The only objective (you have) is to make profits and you can't blame Lescure for that because you don't know anything. Do you count on continuing to run our group like this'"

Messier responded with "I am at your disposition for as long as you want me. I want to develop and build for a long time to come. For the markets, I don't have a crystal ball."

Among other important points, Messier affirmed that there are no plans at present to sell Vivendi Environment, that if Italian authorities approved the Stream/Telepiu merger, Vivendi would go ahead with it (see separate story), and he also re-iterated his commitment to honouring the company's obligations with regard to the French film industry.

As the 5-hour meeting came to an end, it became clear that the climate, however heated, was rather less anti-Messier than most had predicted.