Those hoping a strategic review by the BBC of core services and involvement in other commercial services will see the end of its interest in Lonely Planet will be disappointed.
Officials have moved quickly today to dispel speculation that the broadcast giant will dispose of its 75% share of Lonely Planet, a stake bought in hugely controversial circumstances in October 2007.
One of the areas which has ruffled the feathers of travel content producers around the world over the intervening period has centred on whether the BBC will use Lonely Planet content on its site, and vice versa.
The BBC has continually stressed that its ownership of Lonely Planet is through its commercial division BBC Worldwide, rather than from the central, publicly funded pot of revenue.
The latest review will concentrate on existing and UK-based services such as its niche radio stations 6 Music and Asian Network and some areas of its web offering.
An official says its business as usual for BBC Worldwide’s interest in Lonely Planet.
However, although there is a growing list of Lonely Planet magazines being rolled out around the world (a launch in France this week joins franchise titles in Brazil and India), content is not due to be included on the Lonely Planet website.
A further six magazines, including Argentina and Singapore, will be launched this year.
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I’m surprised to hear that. The release from the BBC clearly stated the following:
“The BBC’s commercial arm will move away from publishing magazines in the UK.”
That seems pretty cut and dried to me?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8545020.stm
@jeremy: there is a “review” of magazines as part of BBC Worldwide, which is NOT included in the Thompson statement.
BBC Worldwide certainly does not look like it is scaling back any Lonely Planet magazine initiatives given that is has six further launches planned for this year.
The reference in the report yesterday could be UK-only.
That was my thinking. Drop the UK version (or sell it) but maintain versions in other languages elsewhere. To be honest if I was a French media organisation I’d be hopping mad about the BBC launching a magazine in France. But I guess companies owned in part or whole by the French Government have been merrily gobbling up our private sector industries for decades (rail, water, elec and gas)!