Memorandum Submitted by Whatsonwhen Ltd

 

I am writing on behalf of Whatsonwhen Ltd, a company of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 

Whatsonwhen provide travel guide content via our website and our core business is to syndicate our content to the global online travel business. Our clients range from UK specific (Lastminute.com, British Airways) to European (Eurostar) and global (Hilton Hotels).

 

Lonely Planet (LP) is a direct competitor of Whatsonwhen both in terms of web traffic to their B2C site and also in the syndication market.

 

I am concerned that development of the online capabilities of LP utilising the BBC digital platform will give a direct competitive advantage to LP in this market.

 

I am also concerned that the archive of BBC travel content is being made available to LP for distribution through magazines and their website.

 

Is the BBC content also being offered to the general market on the same terms? We are also concerned that the BBC, both in the UK and Worldwide, will be able to deliver promotional, marketing and distribution to the LP products both in print and online which will again give LP an unfair competitive advantage.

 

I understand that one of the remits is to "avoid distorting the market".   We believe that the BBC's development of LP as outline above is likely to distort the market unless the BBC is prepared to offer the same or similar terms to the general market.

 

Please can you confirm what policies are in place to ensure that LP does not gain an unfair competitive advantage as a result of its acquisition by the BBC.

 

 

October 2008