Bbc Buys Travel Bible Lonely Planet

[baabaabobo]

From the Bangkok post

Sydney (dpa) - A majority stake in Australian travel guide publishing company Lonely Planet has been acquired by the commercial arm of the government-owned British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for an undisclosed sum, news reports said Monday.

The privately held business was founded in 1972 by Melbourne couple Tony and Maureen Wheeler.

They told national broadcaster ABC that selling a 75 per cent stake to the BBC would finance expansion and the building of the Lonely Planet brand around the world. They will retain 25 per cent of the company.

Go to the Bangkok Post for the rest of the article

Edited October 1, 2007 by sbk
1st 3 sentences and a link to bkk post only please--sbk

[sbk]

BBC buys Lonely Planet

Travel guide publisher Lonely Planet has been sold to BBC Worldwide.

The privately owned business was founded in 1972 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler and has operations in Australia, the US and UK.

The commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) says the deal is part of a plan to increase its operations in Australia and America and build the Lonely Planet franchise around the world.

The Wheelers will retain a 25 per cent shareholding in the company.

The company's global headquarters will remain in Melbourne.

Mr Wheeler has told ABC Radio's PM program the sale is in the best interests of the business, because it could not move forward on its own.

"We realised we're obviously no longer just a book publisher," he said.

"As far as the reality of the business is, a lot of it is now digital - our website and other things we do, from photo libraries to TV production," he said.

"The value of the brand, the value of Lonely Planet is really eventually going to be much more on that side of it."

Source: ABC news Australia

[Prakanong]

Hmm seems a strange one.

I thought the BBC was outsourcing more or going to outside providers not expanding their empire.

I did not think the BBC Charter allowed them to do things like that - shows how much I know!

Edited October 1, 2007 by Prakanong

[A_Traveller]

Oddly enough there's, thus far, no mention on the BBC {news} website about this. However, the BBC has a 'separate' commercial arm, BBC Worldwide {see post below}which is not subject to the Royal Charter per se.

Regards

/edit additional data//

Edited October 1, 2007 by A_Traveller

[gjones]

Obviously the revenue from the TV licence fee is more than they actually need to buy and or produce TV programmes. Next will be the NHS purchasing Boots, or Watsons.

Personally, I don't think there's intelligent life in the UK anymore.

[A_Traveller]

The transaction was undertaken by BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide Limited (www.bbcworldwide.com) is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC's assets around the world for the benefit of the licence payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights.

The company has six core businesses: Global Channels, Global TV Sales, Content & Production, Magazines, Home Entertainment and Digital Media. In the year to end March 2007, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £111.1 million on sales of £810.4 million.

Regards

[Prakanong]

The transaction was undertaken by BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide Limited (www.bbcworldwide.com) is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC's assets around the world for the benefit of the licence payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights.

The company has six core businesses: Global Channels, Global TV Sales, Content & Production, Magazines, Home Entertainment and Digital Media. In the year to end March 2007, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £111.1 million on sales of £810.4 million.

Regards

So the TV Channels fit

I wonder about the guidebooks and website?

[technocracy]

So will UK License holders be getting free books then?!? To go with there 'high' quality entertainment . . .

[Rinrada]

Hopefully now will take it of the Dirty List for supporting the Burmese...sods

[baabaabobo]

Now on the BBC website

[gjones]

The transaction was undertaken by BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide Limited (www.bbcworldwide.com) is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC's assets around the world for the benefit of the licence payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights.

The company has six core businesses: Global Channels, Global TV Sales, Content & Production, Magazines, Home Entertainment and Digital Media. In the year to end March 2007, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £111.1 million on sales of £810.4 million.

Regards

So why the need for a television licence?

Edited October 2, 2007 by gjones

[cdnvic]

Lonely Planet has now completed it's journey from rough travel guide for those who wanted something different to the supercorporate world where the homogenizing will be completed.

[samran]

The transaction was undertaken by BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide Limited (www.bbcworldwide.com) is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC's assets around the world for the benefit of the licence payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights.

The company has six core businesses: Global Channels, Global TV Sales, Content & Production, Magazines, Home Entertainment and Digital Media. In the year to end March 2007, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £111.1 million on sales of £810.4 million.

Regards

So why the need for a television licence?

so that you get higher quality programming with many many less ads that we do in australia. For all its faults, 1.5 years in the UK showed me that you blokes have a better than average selection of TV channels. You may hate the TV license, but trust me, you'll hate the alternative of 'free to air' TV that passes for entertainment in Australia.

[PhilHarries]

Spot on there samran. As you've spent time in the UK you'll appreciate the fact that the BBC is one of the prime targets for the whinging Brits. But these people will happily fork out huge sums for satellite and cable TV just so they can watch 75 channels of pure drivel. On top of that they just don't quite understand that the money to fund the commercial channels comes from the price of just about all the goods and services they pay for.

btw, before anyone accuses me of Brit bashing I am also a Brit and I very rarely complain about television because I very rarely turn the bluddy thing on.

[Prakanong]

Spot on there samran. As you've spent time in the UK you'll appreciate the fact that the BBC is one of the prime targets for the whinging Brits. But these people will happily fork out huge sums for satellite and cable TV just so they can watch 75 channels of pure drivel. On top of that they just don't quite understand that the money to fund the commercial channels comes from the price of just about all the goods and services they pay for.

btw, before anyone accuses me of Brit bashing I am also a Brit and I very rarely complain about television because I very rarely turn the bluddy thing on.

I had a wonderful week in Belgium last week watching BBC1 and 2 each night - reminded me how good TV can be.

Then I look at BBC entertainment and see that we miss out a lot on what we get there as they will be selling the better stuff elsewhere.

HBO makes some great tV too though - soprano's, Band of Brothers etc

[A_Traveller]

By the by Band of Brothers was an HBO/BBC co-production.

Regards

[Prakanong]

By the by Band of Brothers was an HBO/BBC co-production.

Regards

There was something else I watched recently that was a BBC co-production too that was very good but can not remember what it was.

I am sure it was on Singapore Air as they tend to show quite a few BBC show's in their VOD

[bmanly]

I have the greatest respect for Tony and Maureen Wheeler, they have given us so much. Just as a bit of a background for those that don't know, this is how they started off.

When Tony and Maureen Wheeler arrived in Sydney on Boxing Day 1972 after a six month Asia overland trip from Europe they had 27 cents left between them. In late 1973 they started Lonely Planet Publications to publish Across Asia on the Cheap, the story of their trip from London to Australia. From that self-published guidebook Lonely Planet Publications has grown to become the world's largest independent guidebook publisher with more than 500 titles in print, over 400 staff and offices in London and Oakland as well as the head office in Melbourne. (SOURCE)

And then:

Lonely Planet has churned out more than 500 travel guides created by about 360 writers dotted around the world. It was the latter that weighed most on Ms Wheeler when it came to agreeing the deal.

Ms Wheeler then said:

"I was really worried about how a lot of my staff would feel. We've got people that have been here a long time - but it's been great so far," she said. (SOURCE HERE)

It's time for you guys to have a break.

Thanks for everything Tony and Maureen Wheeler.

[gjones]

The transaction was undertaken by BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide Limited (www.bbcworldwide.com) is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC's assets around the world for the benefit of the licence payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights.

The company has six core businesses: Global Channels, Global TV Sales, Content & Production, Magazines, Home Entertainment and Digital Media. In the year to end March 2007, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £111.1 million on sales of £810.4 million.

Regards

So why the need for a television licence?

so that you get higher quality programming with many many less ads that we do in australia. For all its faults, 1.5 years in the UK showed me that you blokes have a better than average selection of TV channels. You may hate the TV license, but trust me, you'll hate the alternative of 'free to air' TV that passes for entertainment in Australia.

I think you are missing the point. I did not criticise the quality of broadcast but I think it’s wrong that a publicly funded television channel can and is spending the money in business deals rather than in the production of television programmes.

If the BBC has surplus funds then the licence fee should be adjusted and not used in diversification away from television.

[samran]

I think you are missing the point. I did not criticise the quality of broadcast but I think it’s wrong that a publicly funded television channel can and is spending the money in business deals rather than in the production of television programmes.

If the BBC has surplus funds then the licence fee should be adjusted and not used in diversification away from television.

OK I see your point.

I am guessing that the operations are run for profit, and not subsidised by BBC themselves on a day to day basis.

Having said that, I guess the question is how did BBC World Wide, the for profit arm of BBC get off the ground? Probably from public money. It would also be interesting to see how aqusitions like this are funded as well, if it is through debt or an equity injection from the parent company?

[gjones]

I think you are missing the point. I did not criticise the quality of broadcast but I think it’s wrong that a publicly funded television channel can and is spending the money in business deals rather than in the production of television programmes.

If the BBC has surplus funds then the licence fee should be adjusted and not used in diversification away from television.

OK I see your point.

I am guessing that the operations are run for profit, and not subsidised by BBC themselves on a day to day basis.

Having said that, I guess the question is how did BBC World Wide, the for profit arm of BBC get off the ground? Probably from public money. It would also be interesting to see how aqusitions like this are funded as well, if it is through debt or an equity injection from the parent company?

It would make an interesting documentary!

[tayto]

Hopefully now will take it of the Dirty List for supporting the Burmese...sods

Maybe we could ask if the BBC supports travel to Burma .

[gjones]

Its funny they can spend money to buy some things!

BBC News and Top Gear face cuts as corporation is forced to axe 3,000 staff• BBC One O'Clock News faces axe

• London staff face bloodbath to save £2 billion

• Flagship factual programmes to bear brunt of cuts

Popular programmes such as Top Gear and BBC News are to bear the brunt of swingeing cuts to the corporation's workforce.

Up to 3,000 staff face the axe in a £2billion economy drive planned by director general Mark Thompson.

He is refusing to cut costs by dumping niche services such as BBC3 or BBC4, which have suffered from poor ratings.

Instead, he will slash the budgets for factual programmes and news.

Gaps in the schedule will be filled by a dramatic increase in the number of repeats.

The BBC's news department will be savaged, with rumours last night that the One O'Clock News may be among those hit hard.

More than one in five BBC News journalists risk losing their jobs, according to unions, who say 700 could go.

Shows under threat include Horizon, Timewatch and The Money Programme. A major reduction in jobs on factual programmes could hit shows such as Planet Earth, Top Gear and What Not To Wear.

The 20 per cent cut in the news workforce - much heavier than the expected 12 per cent average across the corporation - will create a political row.

A serious of strikes, which could take programmes off-air, is virtually inevitable in the run-up to Christmas.

Mr Thompson is cutting back after the BBC received a licence fee settlement it says was £2billion lower than it needed to carry out its plans.

He is believed to be looking at six per cent savings across the board for the next five years.

Tory MP John Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, accused the BBC boss of contradicting his own previous statements that he wanted to protect quality programming.

He said: "He is cutting jobs in the precise areas where there is the greatest need for public service content and where the BBC's strength lies.

"They are doing precisely what Mark Thompson said they would not do."

Tory MP Philip Davies, who also sits on the committee, added: "I think it is crazy to have BBC3 anyway - but given they are in a position where they have got to make cuts you would have thought BBC3 and BBC4 would have been the most obvious targets.

"They don't serve a purpose and nobody watches them."

BBC insiders are mystified that their bosses appear to be targeting areas which are the cornerstone of the corporation's public service remit.

John Humphrys, among others, has said Mr Thompson should kill off less popular services such as BBC3, rather than slash news and current affairs.

But the BBC seems determined to hold on to the controversial channel, which costs licence fee payers £116million a year.

BBC3, aimed at younger audiences, spends almost £180,000 an hour on its programmes, double what BBC1 spends.

Yet it gets just two per cent of viewers or a tenth of BBC1's figures.

The channel has also been criticised for lurid programme titles like F*** Off I'm a Hairy Woman and Sex Talk With Mum and Dad.

Last week senior BBC figures, including Newsnight presenter Gavin Esler and Today presenter James Naughtie, signed an open letter expressing 'dismay' over the salami- slicing of budgets which they claimed will damage BBC news coverage.

Staff say morale at the corporation is now lower than it was at the time of the Hutton inquiry, which caused BBC director general Greg Dyke and chairman Gavyn Davies to resign.

The combination of job cuts and the management's perceived mishandling of recent fakery scandals is said to be creating a "climate of fear".

Some senior executives are still seething that BBC1 controller Peter Fincham was forced out of his post over the 'Crowngate' scandal, where the Queen was wrongly said to have stormed out of a portrait session with photographer-Annie Leibovitz.

Mr Fincham's boss, BBC Vision director Jana Bennett, is still under pressure to go after a report accused her of "lacking in curiosity" over the corporation's bungled response to the crisis.

• The BBC received some good news yesterday when the World Service was given a £70million funding increase by the government for new Farsi and Arabic TV news channels.

source - Daily Mail UK

By PAUL REVOIR - More by this author »

Last updated at 23:55pm on 9th October 2007

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1770