New England in the Guardian!

Somerville, Mass - The BBC Worldwide purchased Lonely Planet about two years ago, with founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler retaining a 25% share (with option to sell at any time). The purchase generated a fair share of controversy in the UK, because it was considered to be "over expansion" by the public company. As recently as last month, British conservatives condemned the BBC Trust for approving the deal.

Now it's in the news that Tony and Maureen have been allowed to extend their option to sell their one-quarter stake. It's not unusual that the original owners would want to continue to play a roll in the company's growth and development. But it has raised questions about why the BBCW would allow them to extend their option to sell, which it is not obligated to do.

For some reason, this has generated speculation that the BBCW is considering unloading the travel publishing company, a rumor which has been flatly denied.

To me, this seems to be a lot of buzz about nothing. But it does mean that Lonely Planet is in the news (in the UK anyway), and look at what book is featured in the article in the Guardian. Beauty!