Ariel magazine is distributed to thousands of BBC employees each week and has a run length of around 20,000.

Tabloid-sized, unstitched Ariel is a 16pp title containing news about the corporation and is printed full-colour throughout.

The BBC is also tendering Ariel's sister title Prospero, which goes out to retired BBC staff.

Twelve page Prospero is also tabloid sized, but is only produced nine times a year and has a shorter 10,000 run length.

"Garnett has done a fantastic job for us," said Ariel editor Andrew Harvey. "The re-tendering is certainly no reflection on them, as a publicly funded body, we're legally obliged to re-tender when a contract's up."