BBC Worldwide ruling the air waves
BBC taking over foreign homes one television show at a time
BBC Worldwide has become a key supplier of television content internationally — including to SA life television
The second wave of British colonisation has begun — but instead of using guns and an army, the queen and crew are taking over foreign homes one television show at a time. The British Broadcasting Corp (BBC) through its commercial subsidiary, BBC Worldwide, is exporting premium content to the rest of the world for a price. Some of its most popular programmes include Sherlock, starring the dishy Benedict Cumberbatch, and high-adrenaline motoring show Top Gear, presented by Matt le Blanc. The funds BBC Worldwide rakes in are nothing to scoff at. In 2015/2016 the unit made headline sales of £1.03bn and headline profit of £133.8m. This money ended up in the public broadcaster’s coffers, allowing it to fulfil its core mandate: to enrich British lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain. The bottom line BBC Worldwide vice-president and general manager in Africa Joel Churcher says it’s not a fluke that the BBC and its subsidiaries do so well. "People pay their TV...
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