UK cancels Chinese TV network's license; MásMóvil eyeing deals in Spain

TOP NEWS IN TMT

* U.K. media regulator Ofcom withdrew the license of China Global Television Network to broadcast in the country. Ofcom's probe concluded that CGTN's license holder, Star China Media Ltd., did not meet U.K. broadcast law requirements as it did not have editorial responsibility for the network's programming. The regulator said Star China Media only distributes rather than provides CGTN in the U.K., the watchdog said.

* Spanish telco MásMóvil Ibercom SA tapped Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to study acquisition options in Spain and Portugal, Telecompaper reported, citing El Confidencial who in turn cited sources. There could be an "acquisition in the Iberian peninsula in the next 12 months," according to the company's senior management.

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TECHNOLOGY

* Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC named Joris Schoonis as the Benelux country manager for Google Cloud, Emerce reported.

INTERNET & OTT

* Beijing ByteDance Telecommunications Co. Ltd.'s TikTok Inc. launched its app on Google TV and Android TV platforms in the U.K., France and Germany.

* ViacomCBS Inc. unit ViacomCBS Networks U.K. launched a new growth and partnerships division to be headed by Dan Fahy as senior vice president, head of emerging business. He will be in charge of "increasing streaming revenue and expanding its range of partnerships in the U.K.," The Hollywood Reporter reported.

* The Walt Disney Co. Europe, Middle East and Africa appointed Usama Al-Qassab to the position of vice president of marketing for direct-to-consumer, focusing on the growth and regional rollout of the company's Disney+ streaming platform, Advanced Television reported.

* Discovery Inc. named Lydia Fairfax as the senior vice president, head of commercial partnerships for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and commercial development U.K. and Nordics, Digital TV Europe reported.

* Nordic Entertainment Group AB will premiere the Swedish dystopian film "Glacier" on its Viaplay streaming service in the spring.

* Orange SA's Orange TV is launching nine new video-on-demand subscription services with French startup VOD Factory. The video-on-demand subscription services will offer digital leisure activities as well as academic support.

MEDIA

* China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it filed "stern representations" to the British Broadcasting Corp. for what it called "fake news" coverage of COVID-19, calling on the company to publicly apologize, Reuters reported. The BBC said it is standing by its "accurate and fair" reporting on events in China, according to a separate Reuters report.

* Eleven Sports Network Ltd. named Marcel Mohaupt as the group's chief strategy officer, effective April 1.

* Lagardère SCA-owned French publishing company Hachette Livre SA acquired local board game publisher SORRY WE ARE FRENCH, which specializes in narrative and card games.

* Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA-owned German media company Gruner + Jahr AG & Co KG named Stefan Schmitz as the new deputy editor-in-chief for its main titles Stern, Capital and Business Punk.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

* British Telecom CEO Philip Jansen called on the British government to slash business rates on new fiber lines so it can reach its goal of connecting 85% of U.K. to gigabit-speed broadband, the Financial Times reported.

* Telefónica SA closed what it touted as its first sustainable perpetual hybrid bond issue worth €1 billion. More than 500 institutional investors participated in the bond issuance, with demand exceeding €7 billion, the company said.

* The Russian government revived a draft measure that will allow law enforcement to access citizens' mobile location data without needing a court order, Reuters reported, citing a document.

* The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets will allow telco operators to collaborate under certain conditions, to invest in the capacity, quality, and coverage of mobile networks.

* Hungary wants to increase the share of locally owned companies in the information and telecom sectors to more than 50%, Bloomberg News reported, citing Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

* Orange signed a new agreement with French trade unions to support the employment and integration of people with disabilities. Orange said it employs over 4,800 staff with disabilities in France and is committed to digitizing its training programs to make them accessible.

FILM & TV

* Vivendi SA-owned CANAL+ Group and the French Ligue de Football Professionnel announced a global deal for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 audiovisual rights for the 2020-2021 season. The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

MARKETS

Click here for a summary of indexes on the MI platform.

Anne Freier, Amanda Kelly, Charlotte van Hek and Gerard O'Dwyer contributed to this report.

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