Jean-Marie Messier will have to detail the half-year accounts of Canal Plus Group and French pay-TV channel Canal Plus, a 49% subsidiary of Vivendi Universal, to the CSA (Conseil Superieur de l'Audiovisuel), the French broadcasting industry watchdog.
Following Messier's controversial firing of Canal Plus Group's chairman Pierre Lescure, the CSA has written to Messier stating that, since the change in management was linked with 'important financial losses' at the pay-TV platform, he will have to demonstrate the relevant figures, as well as explain his future strategy for turning the company around.
In a letter to Messier, the CSA also asked Vivendi Universal to confirm the editorial independence of the French pay-TV channel, to explain the management of Canal Plus' subscribers base (which is handled directly by VU), as well as clarifying the pay-TV channel's financial obligations concerning French film production.
Concerning the latter, the channel's French film (pre-buy) acquisitions, representing over Euros 137m per year - a major contribution to French film production - will have to be confirmed by a written contract.
Previously, films could start shooting on the strength of an informal agreement between the channel and the producer.
The channel will also have to refrain from discriminating between catalogue films belonging to VU and third party titles.
Meanwhile, in an unexpected development to the extraordinary events at last week's annual shareholder meeting (Screendaily 24 April), Vivendi Universal is to call another shareholder meeting, following allegations that its electronic voting system had been sabotaged.
Claiming that the unusually high level (up to 20%) of abstaining votes, indicated either a malfunction or outside interference, the company stated that it was necessary to hold another meeting as quickly as possible to collect shareholder votes on company resolutions.
One of Wednesday's more controversial votes concerned the proposed 55 million stock option scheme, valued at about Euros 2 billion, which was rejected by shareholders.
At the time, 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.
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