Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> BBC to control UKTV? http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1510853863 Message started by Administrator on Nov 16^th, 2017, 5:38pm

Title: BBC to control UKTV?
Post by Administrator on Nov 16^th, 2017, 5:38pm

According to "The Daily Telegraph", here, the BBC is trying to get full control of UKTV.

This would be a major expansion into the advertising and pay-TV markets.
It is thought that BBC Worldwide is in talks with advisers about borrowing hundreds of millions of pounds from private investors to buy out the half of UKTV it does not already own.

The BBC is able to achieve outright ownership because their UKTV joint venture partner, Scripps, is soon to be taken over by Discovery. Under a "change of control" clause in the UKTV joint venture agreement, the BBC will have the right to buy out Discovery when the Scripps deal is completed early next year.

Interesting times ahead. The BBC's competitors are not too keen on the idea.

According to Wikipedia:-

"UKTV is a British multi-channel broadcaster, jointly owned by BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive. It was formed on 26th March 1992 through a joint venture between BBC and Thames Television. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest television companies."

H/T to wdr