BBC could part-privatise commercial arm

The BBC could sell off some of its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, as part of a larger review of its operations.

The corporation’s director-general Mark Thompson told the Guardian: “One of the things we should look at over this period is whether 100% ownership of Worldwide is essential going forward.”

The report says that one of the options under consideration is a stockmarket listing of the business, while if BBC Worldwide is part-privatised, investors could buy shares while the corporation keeps overall control of it.

Channel 4 has been in talks with BBC Worldwide over a potential joint venture, with Channel 4 chief Andy Duncan saying at the recent Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival (MGEITF) that a deal could be finalised very soon.

Although Duncan said that the partnership  “won’t be as big as it could have been” he added that he hoped it would be agreed within the next few weeks, calling it a sensible option to help bridge the hi channel’s £150 million funding gap.

Since James Murdoch’s MacTaggart lectureat the MGEITF, there has been a lot of talk that the BBC could be forced to reduce its size, particularly with the prospect of a Conservative government looming large on the horizon.

However, the BBC has been quick to fight back – just last week, BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons wrote an open letter to licence-fee payer saying: “The BBC is not frightened of change but is clear that changes must be driven by what the public wants and not by commercial or political pressures.

“The seismic shifts currently taking place in the economy and in technology require us to think bigger, even though it may mean the BBC becoming smaller, and above all to ensure we really are delivering the BBC that licence fee payers want and are willing to pay for.”