Media Guardian wrote:">BBC close to losing Neighbours
The BBC is on the verge of losing its daytime ratings banker Neighbours, with corporation insiders attacking the show's distributor for "unrealistic and greedy" demands.
BBC executives are understood to be seething with Fremantle, the RTL subsidiary that distributes Neighbours, and admit that contract renewal negotiations for the long-running Australian soap are on the verge of collapse.
Fremantle is believed to have demanded an increase on the current rate of around £25,000 for each episode of Neighbours to more than £70,000 during six months of talks with the corporation.
The BBC is understood to have told Fremantle that they are free to talk to other broadcasters, insisting that their UK rivals would be "foolish" to agree to the distributor's "unrealistic and greedy" demands.
"Fremantle have fannied about for so long and this has been highly unprofessional," a BBC source said.
"What they don't appear to understand is that this is a daytime soap opera, not a peak time drama, and if they can get the money they want then good luck to them but it would be damaging to them," the insider added.
"They may get that money but they have damaged their credibility with the way they have behaved.
"They also don't seem to realise that one of the reasons the show has the status it does in Australia is that it is shown on the BBC. Let them see what happens if it goes elsewhere."
The loss of Neighbours would be a huge blow to the BBC1 schedule, where it pulls in around 3 million viewers for its 1.35pm lunchtime repeat and around 2.6 million for its 5.35pm episode.
It would also mark the end of an era - Neighbours has been broadcast on BBC1 since 1986.
The BBC director of acquisitions, George McGhee, said: "We would be really sorry to lose it but that may well happen".
ITV and Channel Five are understood to be keen to get their hands on the soap, with sources at both broadcasters confirming they are weighing up a bid.
According to sources at the BBC, Fremantle is looking for a deal that would cover "at least five to 10 years".
The soap's contract with the BBC ends later next year and Neighbours would plug a hole in ITV1's afternoon schedule, which has struggled since the loss of Home and Away to Five and the defection of Paul O'Grady to Channel 4.
Neighbours could also be used on ITV2, which is also looking for a "teen-oriented soap".
The ITV chief operating officer, John Cresswell, was quoted as saying last week that a teen soap would bring a "habit-forming young audience" to peak on ITV2.
ITV could follow the lead of Five, which runs Home and Away on its main network at 6pm, then gives viewers a first look at the next episode immediately afterwards on digital channel Five Life.
An ITV spokeswoman declined to comment on the network's interest in Neighbours, insisting that they "cannot confirm anything at this stage".
A Five spokesman declined to comment on the channel's interest. But sources at the broadcaster confirmed the channel had long been interested in acquiring the soap, made by Australian production company Grundy - which is owned by Five's parent company RTL.
"We have a track record with Home and Away and we are definitely interested," said a source at the broadcaster, which is thought to be keen to air Neighbours alongside Home and Away in a soap hour from 6pm.
yeh i have to agree with that....nieghbours has lost its touch...its a bit cheesy now...one of them UKTV shows
According to Wikipedia, Numerous celebs are to appear in Neighbours this year, including Jo Whiley, Lucas and Walliams and the best one, Terry Nutkins.
Click, look, be happy.
Hmmm seems to me they'd have a hard time replacing it without doing crappy repeats or something
chrismoyles.net
