Doctor Who and another split season

Another week, another press release from the Dr Who office.
This time, as reported by the Guardian, the show next year will start in the autumn.
I kinda predicted this. There's a school of thought that the programme works best in the long winter nights. (My personal feeling is that the weather outside's completely irrelevant - I fell love with the show whilst having a break from playing about in 36 degree heat).
However what the BBC seems to be wanting to do is not air all of next season's episodes in 2012. And instead stagger it around Christmas.
Some folks think this helps make the books balance a little easier (the show ain't cheap after all). The BBC denies this and instead cite narrative reasons.
But whatever the cause, I wonder if this action'll hurt sales abroad. Won't it be more helpful for schedulers to have whole seasons rather than piecemeal ones? (Hence why most UK broadcasters, Sky excepted, wait for an American import to complete its season rather than showing it close to transmission in case they have to have breaks for Labor Day, Christmas etc.)
I guess we'll see what the UK ratings are like this autumn.....