ITV

Tag: John Smith

  • Neil Chugani is BBC Worldwide CFO

    MUMBAI: Former BSkyB director of corporate finance and Goldman Sachs banker Neil Chugani joins BBC Worldwide as its chief financial officer, succeeding David King who has been appointed MD, Acquisitions. Neil will join BBC Worldwide in December 2007.

    He will lead the financial team at BBC Worldwide, which in 2006/07 posted profits of £111.1 million from revenues of £810.4m – a three-fold increase in profits in just three years. He will be responsible for leading and developing all aspects of BBC Worldwide’s financial strategy, in particular the development of the five year growth plan.

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith says, “I am delighted that Neil is joining the Board at BBC Worldwide. He brings tremendous financial, strategic and negotiating expertise to our team and joins us at a really exciting time of our international development.”

    Chugani adds, “This is a fantastic opportunity. BBC Worldwide is a dynamic and fast growing business with operations and partnerships around the world. The recent acquisition of Lonely Planet demonstrates the ambitions of BBC Worldwide and I am looking forward to playing a major part in the business achieving its strategic and financial goals.”

  • BBC Worldwide acquires travel information group Lonely Planet

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of UK pubcaster the BBC has acquired travel information group Lonely Planet in a deal that will build the Lonely Planet franchise around the world.

    The privately owned business is being sold by Tony and Maureen Wheeler, who founded the company in 1972, and John Singleton who became a shareholder in 1999.

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, “We are delighted to be announcing this acquisition today. Lonely Planet is a highly respected international brand and a global leader in the provision of travel information. This deal fits well with our strategy to create one of the world’s leading content businesses, to grow our portfolio of content brands online and to increase our operations in Australia and America.”

    Lonely Planet, which has operations in the UK, California and Australia, is led by the CEO Judy Slatyer and her management team, who will be staying with the business. Lonely Planet’s global headquarters will remain in Melbourne.

    Maureen and Tony Wheeler, joint founders, who will retain a 25 per cent shareholding in the company said, “Joining BBC Worldwide allows us to secure the long-term future of our company within a globally recognised media group. In our discussions with John and his team, we felt that BBC Worldwide would provide a platform true to our vision and values, while allowing us to take the business to the next level.”

    BBC Worldwide non-executive chairman Etienne de Villiers says, “Closing this prestigious deal is a great feather in the cap for BBC Worldwide, its management and the BBC overall. It is further evidence of BBC Worldwide’s ability to become a major international media player. It is testimony to BBC Worldwide’s reputation that the Wheelers believe we are the right partner to take the business forward, given the many organisations that have approached them over the years. We are all convinced that the association will strengthen Lonely Planet’s visibility and growth potential, particularly in the digital arena, as well as providing their users access to the wide range of BBC content which connects with their interests – from Michael Palin’s New Europe to Planet Earth.”

    Lonely Planet publishes around 500 titles including specialist activity guides, shoestring guides and phrasebooks. It publishes in various languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Spanish. The company also produces and develops factual programming for international broadcasters (Lonely Planet Television).

    Its flagship TV series, Lonely Planet Six Degrees, produced for Discovery is now in its third season, and screens in over 100 countries. Meanwhile, Lonely Planet’s website receives 4.3 million unique visitors a month and Lonely Planet’s travel video site, lonelyplanet.tv, is establishing a valuable online community of independent travellers, allowing travellers to upload and watch their own video as well as view videos created by Lonely Planet.

    Maureen and Tony Wheeler adds, “We will remain completely focused on the delivery of unique content to our travellers around the world. We are very optimistic about the prospects for the Lonely Planet brand under the BBC Worldwide umbrella.”

  • BBC kicks off sale process for BBC Resources

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC has announced today that the process for the sale of its commercial subsidiary, BBC Resources has begun and an advertisement is to appear in the Financial Times, Times and UK trade magazine Broadcast on Thursday, 16 August. The sale is subject to the necessary approvals by the BBC’s Executive Board and the BBC Trust.

    BBC Resources provides broadcast production facilities and services, and consists of three divisions: BBC Outside Broadcasts, BBC Studios and BBC Post Production.

    The sale comes as a result of the Commercial Review whereby the Corporation reviewed all its commercial businesses. The Commercial Review team concluded that the BBC should only own commercial businesses that either export or exploit the BBC brand or content; whilst the services provided by BBC Resources are vital to the BBC, they do not need to be owned by the BBC anymore.

    The BBC has already sold BBC Broadcast to Macquarie. The BBC believes that the combination of BBC Resources under new commercial ownership and a continued partnership with the BBC will mean the Corporation can leverage its strong relationship and heritage with BBC Resources.

    A new owner will provide the profitable and cash generative business with further opportunities for growth, which are not available whilst it is owned by the BBC, balanced with the stability of ongoing contracts with the BBC.

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith says, “We are committed to getting the best value for the BBC and licence fee payers, whilst putting staff interests at the heart of the process.”

    BBC project director Andrew Thornton who is leading the sale says, “This is a unique opportunity for any potential bidder; it’s not everyday such a treasure trove of outstanding expertise and skills comes on the market. We are looking for a partner that will nurture this and continue to work closely with us to provide the unrivalled quality of services we need, as well as to capitalise on this in the wider industry.”

    BBC Resources CEO Mike Southgate said, “BBC Resources is full of talent, with a world-class reputation for understanding production values and programme making, both at the BBC and across the media marketplace. Taking our BBC heritage, the sale offers us the chance to grow the business and continue to lead the rapid changes taking place.”

    It is expected that the sale of the business and transfer of BBC Resources staff to the successful bidder will take place by the end of March 2008, subject to contract negotiations and approvals.

    The BBC recognises the importance of staff in the sale process and says that it will fully consult with the Unions and work closely with staff to achieve a smooth transition during this process.

  • Sarah Cooper is BBC Worldwide COO

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has promoted Sarah Cooper to COO. She was previously director of business and legal affairs .

    Cooper will have direct responsibility for all of BBC Worldwide’s corporate operations including legal and business affairs, talent accounting and corporate governance.

    In addition, she will also lead key corporate-wide projects such as the impending company relocation, the marketing review and the development of brand strategy across the business. The role will also continue to support the implementation of core joint ventures and acquisitions.

    Sarah will continue to report to BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith and will act as his Deputy in his absence.

    Smith said, “I am delighted to announce this new position as Sarah has been pivotal in driving transformation in our business. She has demonstrated strong leadership and great judgement, and I know that she will embrace this role wholeheartedly.”

  • Thomas Geitner joins BBC Worldwide board

    MUMBAI: Thomas Geitner has joined the board of UK pubcaster the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide as a non-executive director. Geitner joined Vodafone in 2000 as an executive director with responsibility for global business integration. He left the company at the end of last year.

    As a non-executive member of the BBC Worldwide board, Thomas Geitner will be particularly advising on new media developments, investments and international growth as BBC Worldwide gears up for some major digital business launches over the coming months.

    He said, “I am delighted to join the board of BBC Worldwide at this point where the business is setting out to expand its global brand and the range of its products into new media opportunities.”

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, “Thomas’s appointment means we now have our full complement of non-executive directors. His vast experience in telecommunications, particularly mobile services, will be highly valuable as we look to launch more direct to consumer businesses.”

    Geitner had held his most recent post at Vodafone from April 2006 and had been a Board director there since May 2000. He was responsible for establishing Vodafone as a global brand, for the creation and successful launch of Vodafone live! in 2002 and the establishment of a global supply chain organisation.

  • Unilever marketing chief Simon Clift to join BBC Worldwide board

    Unilever marketing chief Simon Clift to join BBC Worldwide board

    MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC’s commercial arm BBC WOrldwide has announced that Simon Clift, Unilever’s global chief marketing officer has joined its board as a non-executive director.

    His appointment is a further step in BBC Worldwide’s move to ensure both greater transparency in its governance and an even broader range of expertise at senior level.

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said: “Simon’s extensive experience in marketing and in building brands around the world will provide a great resource for BBC Worldwide to draw on as it moves ahead with its current growth strategy.

    “During our strategic review in 2004/5 we identified a need to be more transparent in our governance and reporting in order to ensure clearer understanding of our remit and performance. The introduction of non-executive directors is one of the steps we have taken to achieve this.

    “In addition, these directors – Etienne de Villiers, our non executive Chairman, Jana Bennett (Director of Television, BBC), Nicholas Eldred (General Counsel, BBC), Zarin Patel (Director of Finance, BBC) – and now Simon, will make rich contributions to the development of our international expansion plans.”

  • BBC reorganises to focus on digital future

    BBC reorganises to focus on digital future

    MUMBAI: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has announced organisational changes to meet the challenges and opportunities of its Creative Future vision, placing future media & technology at the heart of its strategy. Launched in April 2006, the changes have been made following consultation with senior managers across the BBC.

    Creative Future is designed to deliver more value to audiences. These reforms are built on the vision that the best content should be made available on every platform at the audience’s convenience and they will simplify how programme ideas – both from in-house and independent producers – move from original concept to audiences.

    The changes, due to be fully operational by April 2007, will enable 360 degree commissioning and production and ensure creative coherence and editorial leadership across all platforms and media.

    They will also streamline the way funding flows across the organisation, bringing in-house production together under a single head, while reinforcing commitments made to the independent production sector through the Window of Creative Competition, informs an official release.

    BBC director general Mark Thompson told staff across the organisation: “Today is about making Creative Future a reality. It’s about how we can make the BBC the most creative organisation in the world, delivering content that our audiences will simply love.

    “We need a BBC ready for digital and for 360 degree multi-platform content creation, which brings different kinds of creativity together – in technology as well as content – to deliver what we need in this converging world. And we need a simpler, more open BBC with the licence-fee flowing down simple, direct lines to the right people, a simpler structure, clearer responsibilities and fewer layers.”

    Thompson stressed it was not about more large scale efficiencies and redundancies, but about making the BBC more creative and efficient. A three year value for money efficiency programme is already underway to deliver savings of £355m a year by 2008 to reinvest in to content.

    The new organisation chart places marketing communications and audiences at its centre, which will be led by Tim Davie, is designated as a creative division, putting audiences at the heart of the BBC and working ever closer with content areas and future Media & Technology to bring audience insights to the creative process.

    A new future media and technology division (FM&T) will be led by Ashley Highfield and will concentrate on emerging technologies, playing a leading role in finding and developing new ways for audiences to find and use content. Technology resources will be centralised and prioritised in FM&T and three new FM&T controllers will be based in the three main content areas – Journalism, BBC Vision and Audio and Music.

    FM&T will manage all new media platforms and gateways like bbc.co.uk, the emerging i-player and web 2.0, as well as metadata, search and navigation and BBC Information & Archives which is vital to opening up the BBC’s archives.

    The multi-media journalism group, led by Deputy Director-General Mark Byford, will now also include BBC Sport along with BBC News, Global News and Nations & Regions.

    The creation of an Audio & Music group, led by Jenny Abramsky, will deliver not just network radio but audio content for all platforms from on-demand in the home to podcasts and mobile phones. This group will also lead on music across all media, including TV, for the whole BBC, informs the release.

    BBC Television, Factual & Learning and Drama, Entertainment & Children’s come together in a new group, BBC Vision, led by Jana Bennett.

    This group will be responsible for in-house multimedia production, commissioning and audio visual services, including the TV channel portfolio, and digital services like High Definition and Interactive.

    Multimedia, 360 degree production, under a single Production Head, will be more closely aligned to – while still physically separate from – the 360 degree commissioning teams. Commissioning will be grouped under four controllers of: Fiction (drama, comedy, BBC Film and programme acquisitions), Entertainment, Knowledge (including all factual and Learning) and Children’s.

    Funding for multimedia content provision will move to the new vision and audio & music groups, allowing 360 degree commissioning and a one stop shop for all producers, including independents.

    The Production Head for BBC Vision, reporting directly to Jana Bennett, will also have an overview of network production outside London through the controller of network production Anne Morrison.

    BBC creative director Alan Yentob will ensure that the Creative Future recommendations are implemented across all content and services. He will chair both the Creative Training Board and Creative Network as well as chairing the board of BBC Films and a new Arts Network which will pull together arts programme-makers from across the BBC. He also continues to lead BBC Talent and to present Imagine.

    The Window of Creative Competition (WOCC). Clear safeguards are in place to build confidence in commissioning and the WOCC now that production and commissioning are in the same BBC Vision group.

    There will be a new commissioning compliance role in BBC Operations with a direct line to the director general and the new BBC Trust will also keep the changes under review to ensure they do not prejudice the WOCC.

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith will concentrate on his ambitious development strategy for Worldwide, on course to treble profits, and to lead the sale BBC Resources Ltd in 2007. Over the next six months he will relinquish all responsibilities to the public service side of the BBC.

    Caroline Thomson, currently BBC director of strategy, becomes COO for the BBC, with overall responsibility for strategy, policy, distribution, property, legal and business continuity, in a new BBC Operations division.

    The reorganisation does not affect BBC Finance, led by Zarin Patel, which is already undergoing transformational change. Procurement will however, move into Finance.

    BBC People already has a major change programme underway and is largely unaffected by the reorganisation. The new director of BBC People, Steve Kelly, joins the BBC from BT in the near future.

  • BBC Worldwide’s profits rise 62 per cent

    BBC Worldwide’s profits rise 62 per cent

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide, UK pubcaster BBC’s commercial arm, has published its annual review for 2005/2006 and announced record profits of £89.4 million for 2005/2006, a year on year increase of 62 per cent, with sales up by 11 per cent to £784.4 million.

    The increase in overall profits was achieved by a combination of trading and efficiency improvements across the business and by selling, closing or turning around loss-making operations.

    In 2003/2004, the company produced a profit of £37 million. In 2004/2005, this rose 50 per cent to £55 million. This year, it exceeds £89 million – a 144 per cent increase from two years ago and 62 per cent up on last year. Across the business, the return on sales was 10 per cent in the year and the EBITDA margin was 22 per cent. For the first time, over 50 per cent of revenue came from overseas sales.

    The underlying profit, excluding one-offs, disposals, restructuring and legal costs, is £92.1 milion, up from £53.3 million in 2004/05, and an increase of 73 per cent in the year. This figure has also doubled over two years.

    Following a strategic review and reorganisation, the company is now focused on profit and growth. It operates seven businesses: global channels, global TV sales, magazines, home entertainment, children’s and digital media, plus the recently created content and production business.

    Both through its own operations and via partnerships and joint ventures, BBC Worldwide seeks to drive commercial benefit from rights and content on behalf of the BBC and other UK rights holders. In the UK, its products and services help to extend audiences’ appreciation of BBC programmes. Internationally the company promotes the best of British talent and culture across a range of media.

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, “It has been an outstanding year. Our turnaround and repositioning strategy has enabled us to exceed our targets, streamline the business and prepare for significant growth both in the UK and abroad. 2006/2007 will see us deepen our commitment to digital media with the proposed development of the commercial iPlayer and bbc.com, the digitising of the archive and more VoD deals. We will continue to invest in acquiring rights and maximising returns across all media. We will also be rolling out new channels and content and production strategies later this year.”

    BBC DG Mark Thompson says, “We set BBC Worldwide an ambitious target to double profits over two years, and I’m delighted they’ve managed to exceed it. The ongoing work in focussing the business and increasing efficiency is drawing direct investment back into programmes and services for UK licence payers.”

    Highlights of the year include:

    Global Channels
    Sales £165.4m – up 18% from £140.6m. 
    Profit £6.9m – up 73% from £4.0m.

    UK’s No 1 TV Channel operator with 18 channels including ten in the UK held in joint venture with Flextech (UKTV) Channels will be an important growth area in the future.
     
    Channels reach 288 million homes globally – up from 245 million last year; BBC America reached target of 45 million US homes and is now in half cable homes in USA. Ratings rising 20 per cent in primetime 
    UKTV delivered £4 million dividend to BBC Worldwide, over 90% up on 2004/2005.
     
    Darren Childs who was earlier previously Sony Pictures Television International MD was recruited to head up business. 

    BBC Japan ceased broadcasting, but BBC Prime launched in South Korea. 
    2005/2006 was an intense period of assessment and review. 

    Global TV Sales

    Sales £173.1m – up 9% from £158.8m.

    Profit £31.7m – up 3% from £30.9m.

    No 1 Exporter of television programmes.

    30th Year of BBC Showcase where 500 broadcast buyers attend to browse and buy from a catalogue of some 40,000 TV hours. Second year of BBC Showcase in Latin America.

    It re-focussed strategy into ’emerging’ and ‘developed’ markets. Growth expected in certain territories – India, China, Latin America, Russia and Poland.

    New contemporary drama re-ignites market for British shows.

    Seven pitches for Indian FM radio licences were won with partner Mid Day Multimedia.

    It also distributes Indie-produced programmes commissioned by ITV, C4 and Five.

    Content and Production

    Sales £36.1m – up 173% from £13.2m.

    Profit £3.2m – up 220% from £1.0m.

    New division, headed up by director Wayne Garvie (joined from BBC Entertainment), comprising the Independent Unit, Investment Unit, format sales and local production.

    Voted No 1 Distributor of Choice by UK Independent Producers (Broadcast, Sept 2005).

    Production office opened in Los Angeles in 2005.

    Dancing with the Stars – the international format for Strictly Come Dancing – has now been sold in 27 countries and won several awards including the Broadcast award for Best International Programme Sales. It is ABC’s top rating entertainment show (US) and on Series 5 in Australia. Following success of Deep Blue, the film Earth is now in development with BBC Production.

    Magazines

    Sales £163.7m – down 3% from £169.4m.

    Profit £19.3m – down 12% from £22.0m.

    UK’s third largest consumer magazine publisher, sold over 90 million magazines in 2005/06 UK’s third largest consumer magazine publisher, selling over 90m magazines in 2005/06 – ie- 170 every minute.

    One in four adults reads a BBC title every month.

    Profit shows an apparent reduction on 2004/05, but that year included a number of one-off items such as the sale of Eve magazine, which if excluded, leaves a year-on-year improvement of 2.5%.

    Post year-end, 61% of specialist publishing company Origin (and the non-BBC titles it publishes) was sold to a management buy-out team. BBC Worldwide will retain a minority stake for a period of time as part of a staged exit.

    CBeebies Weekly and BBC Sky at Night launched (and Doctor Who Adventures and Amy just after year end).

    Radio Times is the UK’s biggest-selling premium-priced listings magazine and No 1 magazine brand.

    Subscriptions are approaching 600,000 and a key area of growth. Dovetail joint venture formed to grow fulfilment business.

    International activity grew: Top Gear now published in 30 countries and international licensing contracts increased to nearly 30.

    Joint venture with The Times of India, Worldwide Media, now one of India’s largest magazine companies; Top Gear magazine launched there in 2005/2006.

    Home Entertainment

    Sales £175.3m – up 9% from £160.8m.

    Profit £25.8m – up 197% from £8.7m.

    First full trading year for 2 entertain – a joint venture with Woolworths plc. Sales of £115m delivering £25.8m profit, largely on DVD sales (also from music and film production). No 1 UK-owned DVD/Video distributor.

          

  • Random House Group acquires majority stake in BBC Books

    Random House Group acquires majority stake in BBC Books

    MUMBAI: The Random House Group in the UK has agreed to acquire a majority shareholding in BBC Books. The deal brings together two publishers of non-fiction as BBC Books will become part of the Ebury Publishing Division of The Random House Group under Fiona MacIntyre, publisher of the Ebury Publishing Division.

    BBC Worldwide will maintain a shareholding in BBC Books and the latter will continue to license relevant book publishing rights in BBC programmes. BBC Books will, as before, work within BBC editorial and commercial policy guidelines ensuring that appropriate controls are maintained over the BBC brand.

    BBC Books’ recent bestsellers include David Attenborough’s Life in the Undergrowth and Alastair Fothergill’s Planet Earth.

    Random House Group CEO Gail Rebuck said, “It is exciting to announce this new relationship, which complements and enhances our own non-fiction publishing, just as BBC Books celebrates an excellent year and looks forward to a very strong autumn. We have brought together two talented creative and successful publishing teams within one division, which will continue to publish the broad and distinguished range of adult non-fiction for which both companies are widely admired.

    “This combination of the best creative talent backed by Random House’s international sales and distribution capacity ensures that we can expand on existing opportunities and create new projects for the global market.”

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, “We have for some time stated our intention of seeking a partner for our books business and are delighted to have reached this agreement with a publisher of the calibre of Random House. The union will bring additional scope and scale to BBC Books and enable the imprint to build further on this year’s financial success and continue to grow its enviable list. We look forward to working with our new colleagues.”

    The Random House Group is one of the largest general book publishing companies in the UK. The Group is based in London with subsidiary companies in India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Group comprises four publishing divisions with 33 diverse and highly individual imprints including Jonathan Cape, William Heinemann, Chatto & Windus, Vintage, Corgi, Doubleday and Bantam Press. Novelists published by the Group include Dan Brown, Jilly Cooper, J M Coetzee, Sebastian Faulks, John Grisham, Robert Harris, Mark Haddon, Ian McEwan and Terry Pratchett.

    The group’s non-fiction publishing consists of broad general non-fiction and specialist categories such as cookery, gardening, travel and business books.

  • Random House Group acquires majority stake in BBC Books

    Random House Group acquires majority stake in BBC Books

    MUMBAI: The Random House Group in the UK has agreed to acquire a majority shareholding in BBC Books. The deal brings together two publishers of non-fiction as BBC Books will become part of the Ebury Publishing Division of The Random House Group under Fiona MacIntyre, publisher of the Ebury Publishing Division.

    BBC Worldwide will maintain a shareholding in BBC Books and the latter will continue to license relevant book publishing rights in BBC programmes. BBC Books will, as before, work within BBC editorial and commercial policy guidelines ensuring that appropriate controls are maintained over the BBC brand.

    BBC Books’ recent bestsellers include David Attenborough’s Life in the Undergrowth and Alastair Fothergill’s Planet Earth.

    Random House Group CEO Gail Rebuck said, “It is exciting to announce this new relationship, which complements and enhances our own non-fiction publishing, just as BBC Books celebrates an excellent year and looks forward to a very strong autumn. We have brought together two talented creative and successful publishing teams within one division, which will continue to publish the broad and distinguished range of adult non-fiction for which both companies are widely admired.

    “This combination of the best creative talent backed by Random House’s international sales and distribution capacity ensures that we can expand on existing opportunities and create new projects for the global market.”

    BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, “We have for some time stated our intention of seeking a partner for our books business and are delighted to have reached this agreement with a publisher of the calibre of Random House. The union will bring additional scope and scale to BBC Books and enable the imprint to build further on this year’s financial success and continue to grow its enviable list. We look forward to working with our new colleagues.”

    The Random House Group is one of the largest general book publishing companies in the UK. The Group is based in London with subsidiary companies in India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Group comprises four publishing divisions with 33 diverse and highly individual imprints including Jonathan Cape, William Heinemann, Chatto & Windus, Vintage, Corgi, Doubleday and Bantam Press. Novelists published by the Group include Dan Brown, Jilly Cooper, J M Coetzee, Sebastian Faulks, John Grisham, Robert Harris, Mark Haddon, Ian McEwan and Terry Pratchett.

    The group’s non-fiction publishing consists of broad general non-fiction and specialist categories such as cookery, gardening, travel and business books.