Board Split At Astra Operator

Societe Europeene des Satellites, the Luxembourg company which operates the Astra satellite system has been split by boardroom difficulties and an attempt to oust the director general.

An attempt was made last month to oust Pierre Meyrat, the director general, by a group of shareholdes. The main criticism against Meyrat was that he did not consult widely enough among the 24-member board. Last week however, at an SES board meeting, Meyrat received overwhelming support on a vote of confidence.

As a resulting compromise, SES will have to strengthen the operational directors