BBC & Haymarket Pushes For Global Growth

The BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, is to launch new 30 channels internationally from April 2008 and grow a high-definition outlet and an on-demand service in the US. The move will revolve around four thematic brands:

• BBC Entertainment (with shows like Doctor Who)
• BBC Knowledge (with shows like Top Gear)
• BBC Lifestyle (with shows like What Not To Wear)
• CBeebies (with shows for kids like Teletubbies)

Let’s hope they’re better than the laziness that is BBC America. Slightly related: the FT reports that the head of new online video joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corporation has predicted that television companies will follow the film industry’s lead, by releasing TV shows simultaneously around the world.

In other ‘Britain To Become Global Media Titan’ news, Lord Heseltine of Haymarket magazines has been describing his company’s ambitions to the Telegraph:

Despite teething troubles in some markets, Heseltine believes the potential for growth is “unprecedented”. He says: “There are 6bn of us on this planet, the world economy is expanding at 2pc to 4pc per annum and educational standards are rising dramatically. If publishers can’t find an opportunity against that background, they shouldn’t be in business.”

He aims to double the current £250m turnover: “What’s happened in the past five years is that we’ve recognised that we’re not really in the business of producing magazines but editorial. Once we’ve got the quality of editorial, we disseminate that in any vehicle that’s around – electronically, the printed word, conferences, directories, corporate websites.”

Without compassionate capitalism, he warns, you end up like rival Emap.