BBC Worldwide May Be Partly Privatized

LONDON: As part of a wide-ranging review of its businesses, top management at the BBC is considering a partial privatization of its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.

The partial privatization would allow investors to buy shares in BBC Worldwide, while the BBC would maintain control of commercial activities, such as international distribution of programs such as Strictly Come Dancing and Top Gear, magazine publishing and merchandising and licensing.

The move comes after considerable pressure on the BBC from both sides of the British Parliament to share the revenues it derives from its license fee. 

The BBC has reportedly been exploring a possible joint venture between BBC Worldwide and commercial broadcaster Channel 4, but had never disclosed the possibility of a sale. Thompson stressed that numerous options are on the table including, offering a stake of BBC Worldwide to a rival broadcaster or even an international partner, which would put an end to the speculation about a deal with Channel 4.

Just last week, the BBC Trust ordered a review of BBC activities once all British households have switched to digital in 2012. Commercial rivals of the BBC have long been irked by the public broadcaster’s power online and its expanding digital and radio channels, as illustrated by James Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive for Europe and Asia at News Corporation, last month when he accused the BBC of dominating journalism and threatening the plurality and independence of other news outlets.

Thompson told the Guardian that the delivery of free online news was "utterly non-negotiable. I would rather the BBC was abolished than we started encrypting news to stop people seeing it."