[HCDX] BBC considers part-privatisation of BBC Worldwide

[Jaisakthivel <ardicdxclub@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

BBC considers part-privatisation of BBC Worldwide

The BBC is considering part-privatisation of BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, its Director General said.
 
By Urmee Khan, Digital and Media Correspondent
Published: 9:56PM BST 13 Sep 2009

BBC Worldwide sells the rights to popular shows such as Strictly Come Dancing to international buyers and also publishes magazines and licenses merchandise from popular programmes such as Top Gear.

The lucrative division of the BBC had revenues of about Â1bn last year.

Mark Thompson, the director general, said it was an option as part of a wide-ranging review, which will be published early next year.

In an interview with The Guardian, he said: "One of the things we should look at over this period is whether 100 per cent ownership of Worldwide is essential going forward."

He stressed that the corporation was looking at a "whole range of things" including offering a stake to a rival broadcaster or even an international partner.

The review was announced last week by the BBC Trust, the corporationâs governing body.

Sir Michael Lyons, its chairman, said the review would look at which activities the BBC should focus on in the future, which he said, may mean the âBBC becoming smaller".

The BBC has been criticised for moving away from its core purpose of providing public service content, to compete with commercial outlets online, on radio and on television.

James Murdoch, the chief executive and chairman of News Corporation, warned last month that the scale of the BBC's ambitions was "chilling" and called for it to be radically reduced in size.

In his interview, Mr Thompson said the delivery of free online news was "utterly non-negotiable".

âI would rather the BBC was abolished than we started encrypting news to stop people seeing it," he said, citing public opinion that shows increasing levels of trust and affection for the corporation."

http://www..telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6184991/BBC-considers-part-privatisation-of-BBC-Worldwide.html



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