* John Simenon has been named head...

* John Simenon has been named head of North American operations for Canal Plus, a French entertainment firm that is becoming heavily involved in Hollywood film production.

Simenon has worked at Fox Inc. and Thorn-EMI. In his new post, his primary job will be overseeing Canal Plus’ U.S. film activities. Canal Plus is a partner in Carolco Pictures, which most recently produced “Basic Instinct.” The company is also aligned with producer Arnon Milchan, who has a multi-picture deal with Warner Bros.