Vivendi moves to head off Canal+ concerns as Bolloré meets CSA

Vincent Bolloré

Vivendi committed to create a new ethics committee to ensure the editorial independence of Canal+ at a meeting between its top management and French media regulator the CSA.

The CSA has called on Vivendi chairman Vincent Bolloré to rapidly formalise commitments he has made to safeguard the pluralism and diversity of broadcasting on Canal+ and has reminded him that its authority is required for some of the changes Vivendi envisages in relation to Canal+’s management structure.

Interviewed by the regulator yesterday, Bolloré for his part committed to create an ethics committee for Canal+ in addition to revamping the existing committee for news channel iTélé.

According to the CSA, in its communiqué following the meeting, the committee will guarantee, “under the control of the CSA”, editorial independence.

Bolloré, who was accompanied to the CSA by Canal+ president Jean-Christophe Thiery and CEO Maxime Saada, emphasized that Vivendi was committed to investment in content, particularly content that could be sold internationally, and to the development of digital platforms including Dailymotion, according to Canal+.

Canal+ also said that Bolloré reaffirmed the group’s commitment to “an editorial line based on impartiality”. In addition to the new ethics committee, Vivendi will create, with the CSA, a working group to discuss all major areas of concern.

The commitment follows mounting concern about Bolloré’s alleged interventions in Canal+, which led to a group of journalist signing an open letter this week that called on the CSA to put stronger measures in place to protect the group’s editorial integrity.