Vivendi Ousts Canal Plus Chief

By Ruth Bender 

PARIS-- Vivendi SA's pay-TV group Canal Plus has ousted the head of its French channel in a bid to try to turn around sliding subscriber numbers.

Vivendi said Friday that Rodolphe Belmer, chief executive of the French branch of the pay TV group, has been relieved of his functions. Maxime Saada, formerly Mr. Belmer's right-hand man, will succeed him as CEO of the unit, Vivendi said in a news release.

Mr. Belmer was ousted because parent Vivendi and Canal Plus's board aren't happy with the performance of the French pay-TV channel, said a person familiar with the matter.

Subscriber numbers at the French channel have been declining for two years, and the group wants to try to overhaul the way it allocates funds to programs to try to get its finances back in shape, the person said.

The move comes as Vivendi is in the middle of a major overhaul under the chairmanship of French financier Vincent Bolloré. Canal Plus is Vivendi's largest unit after the company sold many assets over the past few years to focus mainly on media.

Mr. Belmer recently was promoted to a higher position at Vivendi, where he was put in charge of heading up a newly formed content unit as Vivendi is trying to form more synergies between its pay-TV and music units.

It is unclear what happens with that position now that Mr. Belmer is leaving Canal Plus. Canal Plus declined to comment further.

Write to Ruth Bender at [e-mail]

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