Bollore to step down as Canal Plus chairman - report

Vincent Bollore is preparing to step aside and allow his son Yannick Bollore to take over management of Canal Plus, reports Le Figaro. The father is prepared to step down as chair of the supervisory board this summer and "let go a little of the short reins" he's given the pay-TV provider, the paper said without naming its sources. He plans to give more time to Vivendi in future. 

Bollore has been working in recent years to restore results at Canal Plus, which has suffered from a shrinking customer base and revenues. His manner has caused some concern among employees who fear for the future of the group. Bollore said separately at a Senate committee hearing 22 June that people "will be surprised by the recovery in subscribers at Canal" following his efforts. 

Bollore's son Yannick is CEO of the advertising group Havas. Reuters reports from the Lions Cannes festival that Havas and Vivendi are not in talks for a more extensive cooperation. Yannick said in an interview that the companies, both controlled by the Bollore group, are not in official negotiations. However, they do have two things in common: a shareholder and operating in similar markets, affected by the "digital revolution and age of big data", Bollore said.