Scripps offers BBC £500m to wrest control of UKTV
US pay-TV service Scripps has made a £500m bid to wrest full control of UKTV, operator of a suite of 10 channels including Gold, Dave and Watch, from BBC Worldwide.
Scripps already owns a 50 per cent stake in the joint venture after buying out Virgin Media for £339m in 2011 and owns a host of TV brands; including The Food Network which shows Nigella Express.
It is unclear if BBC Worldwide would accept the offer however with the suggestion being that it is also interested in increasing its stake.
UKTV made an operating profit of £71m last year with Scripps increasing programme investment to £110m.