Skift Take
BBC Worldwide and Lonely Planet moved too slowly on digital, failed on mobile, and didn't anticipate the very rapid decline of guidebook after Kindle and e-readers took off. BBC Trust is right to criticize.
The BBC came under heavy criticism from its own trustees today after selling the Lonely Planet travel guides business to an American billionaire and making a loss of £80 million.
The BBC Trust, under chairman Chris Patten, has been trying to trim the commercial arm BBC Worldwide for several months and today said the 2007 purchase of Lonely Planet for £130 million had not been a go
