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Press Releases
´óÏó´«Ã½ kicks off sale process for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources
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The ´óÏó´«Ã½ has announced today that the process for the sale of its commercial subsidiary, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources Limited, 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 ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Executive Board and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Trust.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources is one of the UK's leading providers of broadcast production facilities and services, and consists of three divisions: ´óÏó´«Ã½ Outside Broadcasts, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Studios and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Post Production.
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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 ´óÏó´«Ã½ should only own commercial businesses that either export or exploit the ´óÏó´«Ã½ brand or content; whilst the services provided by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources are vital to the ´óÏó´«Ã½, they do not need to be owned by the ´óÏó´«Ã½ anymore.
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The ´óÏó´«Ã½ has already sold ´óÏó´«Ã½ Broadcast to Macquarie.
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The ´óÏó´«Ã½ believes that the combination of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources under new commercial ownership and a continued partnership with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ will mean the Corporation can leverage its strong relationship and heritage with ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources.
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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 ´óÏó´«Ã½, balanced with the stability of ongoing contracts with the ´óÏó´«Ã½.
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"We are committed to getting the best value for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and licence fee payers, whilst putting staff interests at the heart of the process," said John Smith, Chief Executive, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Worldwide, and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Board Sponsor for the sale.
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Andrew Thornton, Project Director, ´óÏó´«Ã½, who is leading the sale, commented: "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."
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Mike Southgate, Chief Executive, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources, said: "´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources is full of talent, with a world-class reputation for understanding production values and programme making, both at the ´óÏó´«Ã½ and across the media marketplace. Taking our ´óÏó´«Ã½ heritage, the sale offers us the chance to grow the business and continue to lead the rapid changes taking place."
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It is expected that the sale of the business and transfer of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources staff to the successful bidder will take place by the end of March 2008, subject to contract negotiations and approvals.
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The ´óÏó´«Ã½ recognises the importance of staff in the sale process and will fully consult with the Unions and work closely with staff to achieve a smooth transition during this process.
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Notes to Editors
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About ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources
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- ´óÏó´«Ã½ Resources is a profitable and cash generative business with revenues around £125m – spread evenly across the three divisions.
- ´óÏó´«Ã½ Outside Broadcasts: a large fleet of 15 television production units plus sound, support and communications vehicles and award-winning special cameras, operate out of self-contained premises in Langley. The division supports events from music festivals, drama productions and major state occasions, to Wimbledon, the Olympics and World Cup football.
- ´óÏó´«Ã½ Studios: equipped to the highest standard, 18 studios - located at Television Centre in London and Elstree (both currently owned by the ´óÏó´«Ã½) - are amongst the most sought after and largest in the UK. The facilities, including two High Definition (HD) studios and the latest cameras, accommodate many of the UK's favourite TV programmes such as EastEnders and Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, as well as more complex productions such as Children in Need and the General Election.
- ´óÏó´«Ã½ Post Production: around 200 suites in Bristol, Birmingham and London, the UK's largest facilities of their kind. Offering an extensive range of services across Standard Definition and HD editing, audio and telecine, recent work includes: Planet Earth, Strictly Come Dancing and Match Of The Day.
- For more information and to view a five-minute show reel about some of the productions the company has recently supported: .
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´óÏó´«Ã½ Press Office
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