C5 'disappointed' to lose out

Channel 4 has won the rights to air The Simpsons after the BBC pulled out of a bidding war.

The station has paid up to £700,000 an episode - seven times more than BB2 was paying.

It managed to outbid Channel 5, which had also hoped to pick up the rights.

Channel 4 will show new episodes from the 12th and 13th series from 2004, and has the rights to start showing repeats in the next couple of months.

Director of programmes Tim Gardam said: "We are very excited to have secured the rights to what is broadly recognised as one of TV's most creative, original and brilliant shows.

"The Simpsons will help reinforce Channel 4's appeal with young and upmarket audiences."

Channel 5's chief executive Dawn Airey said she was "obviously disappointed" to have lost out.

BBC 2 controller Jane Root pulled out of talks last week, saying she could not justify spending so much licence-payers' money on one programme. It has two series yet to screen, and can keep showing reruns until 2006.

Sky One retains the cable and satellite rights to the show, made by is American sister network Fox.

The show attracts up to four million viewers for BBC2, making it one of the channel's most-watched shows. It will be broadcast five nights a week from Monday.

Published: 21 Feb 2002