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Greg Dyke will this week announce a radical restructure of BBC

Worldwide, which looks certain to lead to a privatisation of the

publishing operation.

Director general Dyke is expected to reveal key aspects of the BBC's

commercial review in his annual report on 4 July.

Dyke has ruled out a flotation of BBC Worldwide in its entirety - its

programme sales, licensing and intellectual property operations have to

remain in BBC hands - but has agreed that the magazine, book and video

operations could either be floated or become part of a joint-venture

with another commercial publisher.

The businesses will also be freed up to expand by investing their

profits in launches and acquisitions.

BBC Worldwide is the UK's third-largest magazine publisher and, with

titles such as Radio Times and Top of the Pops, would be an attractive

partner to other publishers, both in the UK and overseas.

A far-reaching reorganisation, announced to employees last Wednesday,

sees Worldwide return to a structure that is organised by product type,

in place of multimedia divisions separated by subject genre.

It also sees the homecoming of Peter Phippen, the former Worldwide MD,

who returns from the US to become managing director of magazines. He has

spent the past two years developing the BBC's interests in America.

Phippen's deputy is to be Radio Times editor Nicholas Brett.

Worldwide UK MD Peter Teague is to leave the outfit next year. In the

interim, he becomes MD of consumer publishing, which includes books,

videos, DVD and audio.

Director of the lifestyle group Seamus Geoghegan is also expected to

leave the company in the reshuffle. He is currently managing Eve while

he seeks a replacement for Justine Southall, who last week joined Nat

Mags.

Marcus Arthur, who was publisher of the home-interest titles, becomes

publishing director for the other five lifestyle magazines.

Stuart Snaith, director of the sports and entertainment group, will now

be responsible for videos and DVDs. Family group director Gillian

Laskier becomes publishing director of family magazines.

Radio Times publisher Ashley Mundy becomes publishing director and Chris

Gadsby is the new publishing director of the factual and motoring

magazines.