LVMH finalises newspaper deals with Pearson, Weill

PARIS, Dec 24 (Reuters) - French luxury goods, champagne and spirits group LVMH (LVMH.PA) said on Monday it had finalised a deal with Britain's Pearson (PSON.L) to buy newspaper Les Echos and had signed a deal with Alain Weill to sell him La Tribune newspaper.

LVMH said Nicolas Beytout, a scion of the former Les Echos owning family and previously editor in chief at Le Figaro nespaper, would become chairman of the board at Les Echos.

On Friday, French antitrust authorities gave LVMH the go-ahead to buy business daily Les Echos for 240 million euros.

In November, LVMH agreed to buy Les Echos from Britain's Pearson Plc (PSON.L) despite opposition from the business newspaper's journalists.

The French Finance Ministry said on Friday that along with selling La Tribune, LVMH would have to separate the advertising business of its Investir magazine from that of Les Echos and also let the future owner of La Tribune maintain advertising links with Investir.

(Reporting by Marcel Michelson; Editing by Quentin Bryar)

((marcel.michelson@reuters.com; +33 1 4949 5130; Reuters Messaging: marcel.michelson.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: LVMH ECHOS/

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