The deal involves all the titles acquired when the BBC bought Origin Publishing in February 2004. The titles include Hair Ideas, World of Cross Stitching and Card Making & Papercraft. Origin was subsequently renamed BBC Origin.
The MBO team purchasing the 14 magazines is led by BBC Origin managing director Andy Marshall. The new company will take up the old name of Origin Publishing.
The move continues the BBC's ongoing commitment to selling commercially competitive titles that are not linked to its television programmes, as recommended by the broadcaster's 2004's commercial review. In the past year or so, it has sold Eve to Haymarket and Disney Girl and Disney's Big Time to Future.
BBC-branded titles previously published by BBC Origin will be produced by a new BBC-owned subsidiary, Bristol Magazines, chaired by the managing director of BBC Magazines, Peter Phippen. Homes and Antiques will move from the publisher's consumer division into Bristol Magazines, which will also launch the forthcoming Mind Games (Media Week, 25 April). In addition, Bristol Magazines will continue to publish BBC Origin's 12 contract titles for clients including HMV and Waterstones.
A spokesman said the BBC was allowed to keep these because the commercial review said that, while it should divest consumer magazines, it could keep titles that did not compete directly with other publications on the news-stand. A second subsidiary, Magazine Services, will handle support services, such as production and finance.
No jobs have been lost as Bristol Magazines will retain two-thirds of the 176 staff and the rest will work at Origin. Some commercial positions straddle BBC and non-BBC titles and changes to these job remits are expected in due course. Both companies will remain in Bristol.
The BBC will retain a minority stake in Origin in the short term. Marshall will act as managing director of both publishers until Bristol Magazines appoints a new one.
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