 | This biographical article is written like a résumé .(September 2021) |
Alex Berger | |
|---|---|
 Alex Berger in 2000. | |
| Born | March 22, 1962 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
Alex Berger (born March 22, 1962) is a producer, creator, consultant and entrepreneur in the media field.
He was born March 22, 1962, in Philadelphia in the US. He is the son of Francine Dreyfus-Berger, a French painter and Dr. Joseph Berger, PhD. In 1972, he moved to France with his parents and his sister Sylvie Berger. After a French schooling, he briefly studied at the University of Pennsylvania, then lived between the US and Europe. He currently lives in Paris, with his wife Florence Servan-Schreiber [ fr ] and their three children.
In 1997, Alex Berger invents the multi-access web portal Vizzavi, [1] which consists of enabling premium content to travel seamlessly between all of the subscribers and their services and devices ( Canal+ pay TV and CanalSatellite pay channels, AOL Europe subscribers, SFR mobile subscribers, Numéricâble subscribers.)... This system named Vizzavi, was co-owned by Vodafone under the name Vodafone Live. [2] service.
In 1998, Alex Berger founded and became the first CEO of CanalNumedia [3] [4] CanalNumedia all the gaming activities of the group (2nd worldwide) and football, cinema and photography sites... In 1999 he founded and became the co-CEO of Vivendi Universal Net (VivendiNet) along with Franck Boulben. VivendiNet regrouped all digital contents of:
•Canal+/CanalNumedia (sports and cinema websites and Allociné [5] ), •Havas with all of its publications and digital assets such as Scoot, bonjour !, 01.net, la Vie Financière • Cegetel [ fr ] (SFR) and Vizzavi •as well as all the venture capital funds (Viventures) and the incubator @VISO co-owned 50/50 with SOFTBANK. [6]
Once approved by Jean Marie Messier [7] and Pierre Lescure, Alex Berger initiated the discussions with Universal. With the help of Terry Semel, former CEO of Warner Brothers, they approached Edgar Bronfman Jr, CEO of Seagram, owned by Universal. This strategy led to Vivendi, Universal and Canal+ to merge in June 2000. [8]
After the merger was finalised in June 2000, Alex Berger was at a strategic position between Vivendi-Universal CEO Jean-Marie Messier [9] and Canal+ Group CEO Pierre Lescure, head of content and digital. Internal politics and infighting raging, Alex Berger decided to leave Canal+ group in September 2000. [10]
On a new organisation for scripted drama series in France
Alex Berger was asked to write a report for the CNC (Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée- French National Center for Cinema and Animation) on a new organisation of scripted drama in France. The report was commissioned by the CNC to show what and how should be changed in the French market to meet the standards as well as needs in this golden age of scripted drama. The report puts in perspective the changes that need to be made within paradigm shift with the rise of the digital platforms, and how this affects the way of developing, producing and distributing TV series, taking Le Bureau des Légendes/The Bureau as an example.
In 1992, he interpreted the character of Jean-Robert Günther in L'Émission impossible [ fr ] on TF1, the first show of d'Arthur on television. [11] In 1994, he made an appearance on Canal+ in the very last sketch of the show in Nulle part ailleurs of Antoine de Caunes and José Garcia. With the humoristic group Les Nuls as a guest on the set, he made a parody of one of them, Dominique Farrugia [12]
Alex Berger interpreted the character of Caius Tchounus Mogulus, in Astérix et Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre of Alain Chabat. [13]
Jean-Marie Messier is a French businessman who was chairman and chief executive of the multinational media conglomerate Vivendi until 2002. He is also frequently referred to by the nickname "J2M" and "J6M", based on his initials.
Canal+ is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted. Unencrypted programming can be viewed free of charge on Canal+ and on satellite on Canal+ Clair (Clear). The channel does not broadcast advertising, except when broadcasting on free-to-air slots. Almost all foreign films and series can be viewed either in their original language with French subtitles or dubbed in French. All programs are subtitled in French for deaf people and those who struggle with hearing. Some programs also have audio description for those who are visually impaired.
Vivendi SE is a French mass media holding company headquartered in Paris. Widely known as the owner of Gameloft, Groupe Canal+, Havas, Editis, Prisma Media, Vivendi Village and Dailymotion, the company has activities in television, film, video game, book publishing, print press, communication, tickets and video hosting services.
SFR is a French telecommunications company. It is the second oldest mobile network operator in France, after Orange and the second largest telecommunications company in France, behind Orange.
Des Visages des Figures is an album by French rock band Noir Désir. It was released in France and other European countries on 11 September 2001. It turned out to be the band's last studio effort. Noir Désir was officially disbanded in November 2010.
Guy Dejouany was the CEO of Compagnie Générale des Eaux, from 1976 to 1995.
Jean-Denis Bredin was a French attorney and founding partner of the firm Bredin Prat. He was widely admired as an author-commentator, both for his novels and for his non-fiction works, with a particular focus on recent and contemporary history. On 15 June 1989, he was elected to membership of the Académie Française, becoming the twentieth occupant of seat 3, which had been vacated through the death of Marguerite Yourcenar. His daughter, Frédérique Bredin, served between 2013 and 2019 as President of the French National Center of Cinematography and the moving image.
Catherine Jacob is a French film and theatrical actress who has won a César Award for her role in Life Is a Long Quiet River (1988), and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Tatie Danielle (1990), Merci la vie (1991) and Neuf mois (1994). She has been two-time president of the Lumières Award. She is known for her voice and her charisma.
Plon is a French book publishing company, founded in 1852 by Henri Plon and his two brothers.
The Très Court International Film Festival is a film festival which takes place annually in June in multiple cities simultaneously. It is dedicated to short films that are no longer than four minutes. Each year, around 2 000 international short films are screened in competition and of those around 140, or 7% are screened at the festival, of which a much smaller number will be awarded one of the various awards available that year.
Le Grand Journal was a French nightly news and talk show television program that aired on Canal+ every weekday evening from 19:10 to 20:20. It debuted on August 30, 2004 and was created and hosted by Michel Denisot, succeeded by Antoine de Caunes and then later by Maïtena Biraben. Victor Robert took on the reins from 2016 to the program's end in 2017. Originally a one-hour program, it expanded to two hours in 2005. Even though the program was broadcast on the premium channel Canal+, it was a non-encrypted program.
Jean-Bernard Lévy is a French businessman, and the CEO and chairman of EDF.
Pierre Lescure is a French journalist and television executive. He is known for having founded the French TV music show Les Enfants du rock broadcast on public television from 1981 to 1988 and for having led the French Canal+ channel from its creation in 1984 to 2002. Since 2015 he has been the president of the Cannes Film Festival.
Édouard Tétreau is a French public intellectual known as an essayist, columnist, and political and economic consultant. He founded his advisory firm Mediafin in 2004, which he brought to Edelman in December 2022, to run their Global Families advisory services.
Maïtena Biraben is a French-Swiss television presenter and producer. She has notably presented on France 5 the program Les Maternelles and on Canal+ La Matinale and Le Supplément. From September 2015 to June 2016, she presented on the same channel Le Grand Journal, succeeding to Antoine de Caunes.
Xavier de Moulins is a French journalist, television presenter and author.
Élodie Frenck is a Peruvian–Swiss–French actress, born 31 July 1974 in Lausanne, Switzerland. She is known for playing the character of Marlène Leroy in the French TV series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie.
Les bergers is a three-act opéra comique of 1865 with music by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was by Hector Crémieux and Philippe Gille. It belongs to the group of more serious works, such as Barkouf, Robinson Crusoé, Vert-Vert and above all Fantasio which became neglected as his contemporaries pigeon-holed Offenbach as simply an amusing composer of opéra bouffe.
Fabrice Fries is a French business executive, currently Chairman and Chief executive officer of Agence France-Presse.
Lou Jean, known on stage as simply Lou, is a French singer.