GossipQueen
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THE BBC has confirmed it is pulling out of talks to screen top Aussie soap Neighbours
BBC1 controller Peter Fincham decided to stop bidding for a new deal after being asked to pay £300m for an eight-year contract. And that means the daytime hit is set to move to another channel next spring, after 21 years on BBC1.
The loss of Neighbours was the second blow for the BBC in a matter of hours after it was revealed EastEnders had slumped in the ratings, despite a £1m storyline. Mr Fincham said he regretted the loss of Neighbours.
"It's obviously a sad day for BBC1 - we've paid over those years what we felt was a fair price," he said.
"The bidding war's gone up and we were asked to pay a price that we just felt the BBC couldn't pay. We're paying licence payers' money.
"It's certainly a big loss and it's a loss that we'll have to look at how to address. But there's been other things like this in the past."
The Melbourne-based show currently attracts around three million viewers for its lunchtime BBC1 screening and some 2.6million for the 5.35pm repeat.
Source
BBC1 controller Peter Fincham decided to stop bidding for a new deal after being asked to pay £300m for an eight-year contract. And that means the daytime hit is set to move to another channel next spring, after 21 years on BBC1.
The loss of Neighbours was the second blow for the BBC in a matter of hours after it was revealed EastEnders had slumped in the ratings, despite a £1m storyline. Mr Fincham said he regretted the loss of Neighbours.
"It's obviously a sad day for BBC1 - we've paid over those years what we felt was a fair price," he said.
"The bidding war's gone up and we were asked to pay a price that we just felt the BBC couldn't pay. We're paying licence payers' money.
"It's certainly a big loss and it's a loss that we'll have to look at how to address. But there's been other things like this in the past."
The Melbourne-based show currently attracts around three million viewers for its lunchtime BBC1 screening and some 2.6million for the 5.35pm repeat.
Source