Media
BBC nearer to BBC Resources sale
Published Wednesday, Apr 25 2007, 12:13 BST | By Joanne Oatts
Following its announcement in December that it no longer needed its own production facilities department, the BBC is getting ready to sell BBC Resources.
Consultants Ernst & Young have been appointed to handle the deal, with the BBC saying there has already been significant amount of interest in the department.
BBC Resources is made up of BBC studios, BBC outside broadcasts and BBC post production. It owns broadcast trucks, studios, post-production suites and thousands of costumes, wigs and hairpieces. Though the BBC has said it will not sell off the costume department, it may consider dividing the other departments off for separate deals.
The sale of BBC Resources has been considered for some time, with a 2006 government-commissioned report from consultants PKF recommending it should be offloaded.
BBC chief operating officer John Smith appointed project director Andy Thornton in January to look into a potential sale.
Thornton and his project team will work with Ernst & Young to look at options and devise a timescale for the sale, which is expected to be completed this summer.
BBC Resources, which has an annual turnover of around £130 million and employs over 1100 staff, is expected to fetch around £150 million.
Other BBC commercial divisions that have already been sold off include BBC Broadcast, now Red Bee Media, and BBC Technology.
Consultants Ernst & Young have been appointed to handle the deal, with the BBC saying there has already been significant amount of interest in the department.
BBC Resources is made up of BBC studios, BBC outside broadcasts and BBC post production. It owns broadcast trucks, studios, post-production suites and thousands of costumes, wigs and hairpieces. Though the BBC has said it will not sell off the costume department, it may consider dividing the other departments off for separate deals.
The sale of BBC Resources has been considered for some time, with a 2006 government-commissioned report from consultants PKF recommending it should be offloaded.
BBC chief operating officer John Smith appointed project director Andy Thornton in January to look into a potential sale.
Thornton and his project team will work with Ernst & Young to look at options and devise a timescale for the sale, which is expected to be completed this summer.
BBC Resources, which has an annual turnover of around £130 million and employs over 1100 staff, is expected to fetch around £150 million.
Other BBC commercial divisions that have already been sold off include BBC Broadcast, now Red Bee Media, and BBC Technology.
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