Short answers, pulled from the story.
BBC Books began its life in the 1980s as a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The company operated under names like BBC Consumer Publishing and BBC Publishing before settling on its current identity.
The Ebury Publishing division of Random House acquired a majority shareholding in the imprint in June 2006. This transaction shifted control away from direct BBC management while leaving BBC Studios as a minority shareholder.
A notable moment occurred when the company turned down The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. That book has since sold over 14 million copies worldwide.
A novelisation of the 1996 Doctor Who telemovie marked the first release related to the series in spring 1997. BBC Books launched two concurrent lines that year including Eighth Doctor Adventures and Past Doctor Adventures.
May 2008 marked the release of Pest Control, the first made-for-audio adventure produced by BBC Books. This title appeared within the Tenth Doctor Adventures line and was read by David Tennant himself.