BBC buys control of Lonely Planet

The British Broadcasting Corp. said Monday it bought a 75-percent stake in the Lonely Planet travel guides.

BBC Worldwide Ltd. did not disclose how much it paid for control of the guides, based in Melbourne, Australia.

Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler will keep a 25-percent stake.

The current management team, led by Chief Executive Judy Slatyer, will remain in place. Lonely Planet has operations in Australia, Britain and California. Its global headquarters will remain in Melbourne.

"We are all convinced that the association will strengthen Lonely Planet's visibility and growth potential, particularly in the digital arena, as well as providing their users access to the wide range of BBC content which connects with their interests," said Etienne de Villiers, non-executive chairman of BBC Worldwide.

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm of the BBC.

In a joint statement, the Wheelers said that joining BBC Worldwide woudl allow them to "secure the long-term future of our company within a globally recognized media group. In our discussions with John and his team, we felt that BBC Worldwide would provide a platform true to our vision and values, while allowing us to take the business to the next level."

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On the Net:

BBC Worldwide: http://www.bbcworldwide.com

Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com