Orange shortlists CEO candidates; EU plans law to protect children online

TOP NEWS IN TMT

* French operator Orange SA shortlisted company CFO Ramon Fernandez, board member and Schneider Electric SE European Head Christel Heydemann and Verizon Communications Inc. Chief Revenue Officer Frank Boulben as potential candidates to replace current CEO Stéphane Richard, Reuters reported, citing two sources. The company expects to find a successor by Jan. 31.

* The EU is planning to formulate a law in the coming months that will require technology companies to implement more measures to address child sexual abuse, Reuters reported, citing EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson's statement to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

➤ Marketweek: How Apple gets to $4 trillion; how Microsoft gets to $3 trillion

Ongoing demand for Apple Inc.'s existing devices and services and potential revenue from lucrative new markets will allow the company to continue growing its market cap past the $3 trillion mark it briefly hit the week of Jan. 3.

➤ Nexstar gaining CW control could also benefit network co-owners, analysts say

The potential transaction would further diversify the station group's revenue base while allowing Warner Media LLC and ViacomCBS Inc. to continue shedding core assets and to still secure fees as programming suppliers.

TECHNOLOGY

* Irish IT company Ergo Ltd. announced its acquisition of Asystec Ltd. for €25 million. The transaction is subject to Competition and Consumer Protection Commission clearance.

* ASML Holding NV announced that a fire at its Berlin factory affected its extreme ultraviolet production; the company is still completing its recovery plan for the production area of the wafer clamp.

* U.K. technology company SDI Group PLC acquired Scientific Vacuum Systems Ltd., a manufacturer of physical vapor deposition equipment. The total consideration, including earnout, is forecast to be about £4.9 million, net of cash acquired.

* The U.K.'s ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. acquired Italy-based system integrator HSG Engineering Srl for an undisclosed sum, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

* German companies Siemens Energy AG and Zeiss are looking to set up a joint venture to manufacture parts using the 3D printing process, Digital Fernsehen reported.

INTERNET & OTT

* Bob van Dijk, CEO and executive director of Prosus NV, acquired 122,750 shares in the Dutch internet company worth up to €8.9 million.

MEDIA

* Polish President Andrzej Duda officially announced to the Parliament that he is vetoing the proposed media law that would limit foreign ownership of media companies in the country and could have led to the exit of broadcaster TVN's owner Discovery Inc. from Poland, Digital TV Europe reported.

* Egmont Publishing A/S will invest 50 billion Danish kroner in content across its business area in the Nordics, Børsen reported. The Danish company aims to double its revenue by 2025.

* The British Broadcasting Corp. named Helen Perry, Heather Larmour and Stephanie Fyfe as assistant commissioners for Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, respectively. The broadcaster also appointed Usman Mullan and Zahra Al-Sultani as development producers for BBC Writersroom.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

* Select directors at Telecom Italia SpA, including representatives from top investor Vivendi SE, requested that the company's chairperson hold a special board meeting to appoint a new CEO, Reuters reported, citing two sources. This comes after Luigi Gubitosi stepped down as CEO and general manager of Telecom Italia in November.

* Telia Company AB (publ) unit Telia Lietuva AB plans to invest €10 million to build what it says will be the largest data center on a 2-hectare plot of land near Lithuania's capital, Vilnius.

* Cinven Group Ltd.-owned Spanish operator Ufinet International received committed financing from a Credit Suisse Group AG-led group in connection with the announced investment in the company by the Seventh Cinven Fund, according to sources. Additional arrangers are Barclays, UBS, Natixis, Scotia and Santander.

* Virgin Media O2, a joint venture between the U.K. units of Liberty Global PLC and Telefónica, will not impose European roaming fees after the U.K.'s exit from the EU, The Daily Telegraph (London) reported. This comes after Vodafone Group PLC and British Telecom unit Everything Everywhere Ltd. announced a delay in the return of roaming charges for their customers.

* Telia Eesti AS invested nearly €25 million to develop its fixed and mobile networks in 2021, Telecompaper reported. The company had more than 140 5G base stations in Estonia at the end of 2021.

FILM & TV

* The BBC announced a new comedy series called "Stuck," set to premiere on BBC Two and the iPlayer streamer this year.

* Eleven Sports Network Ltd. is nearing a subscriber count of 300,000 in Portugal and expects to break even during the 2021-22 season, Digital TV Europe reported, citing SportBusiness.

* Deutsche Telekom AG unit Magyar Telekom will cease providing satellite TV service beginning Jan. 21, Broadband TV News reported, citing HWSW. The Hungarian operator will only offer its IPTV service to new customers.

* Orange will add the Movistar Supercopa TV channel to its lineup, bringing three Supercopa matches to its customers at no extra cost under an agreement with Telefónica SA's pay TV unit, Advanced Television reported.

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Frances Espeso, Anne Freier, Sylvia Edwards Davis, Koen Pijnappels and Esben Svendsen contributed to this report.

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