BBC has today acquired Lonely Planet. I always have a feeling of sadness when founders feel inclined to sell, invariably recognising that it is for the common good, that they are certain that their ideals will be respected etc etc. This is rarely so of course, and a few sales down the road (a bought company rarely stays in the hands of the buyer) you are dealing with a wholly different beast. This of course may not be the case here, as travel guides carry sociopolitical & geopolitical clout, and at the hands of a state-owned agency they can work 'miracles'...A look into the ownership of other major travel guides would surely reveal interesting things.