BBC Pull Out Of Neighbours Bidding

The BBC has pulled out of a bidding war for Aussie soap Neighbours.

During the BBC's One O'Clock News, BBC One controller Peter Fincham said that the Beeb had been asked to pay "roughly three times" what it had previously paid, amounting to £300 million over eight years.

The soap has appeared on BBC One since 1986, but the BBC said the new offer for the show was an "an unrealistic price demand."

Neighbours currently pulls around 3 million viewers for its 1.35pm lunchtime showing and around 2.6 million for its 5.35pm repeat.

ITV and Five are understood to be in talks about acquiring the soap.

Fincham said it was too early to discuss what would replace the programme on the BBC.

I'm sure Neighbours distributor will get more money from Five or ITV, but at the same time they won't get the figures they did on the BBC.
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