The British government has included BBC Worldwide in a portfolio list of assets it is considering selling and is urging the corporation to “look more widely at the options for greater financial and operational separation, including a sale or partial sale.” According to sources, the BBC discovered just a couple of weeks ago, that it was on the list.
This puts more political pressure on the BBC, which follows a promise by Prime minister Gordon Brown to publicly name and shame funded organizations that pay excessive salaries. Although he did not name the BBC, briefings yesterday from government insiders made it clear that the BBC trust will be urged to publish the salaries of leading on-screen talent.
Now it has emerged that the government wants the BBC to consider a sell-off of BBC Worldwide.
