According to a blog on Broadcast, QI was originally designed to be a programme shown on BBC One. One of the people who turned the show down was Peter Fincham.

Jay Hunt, the current head of BBC One, may want future series of QI to order 16 episodes per year, as apposed to the normal 12/13.

FWIW, youtube is my only realistic option for watching QI. I bought series one and two from Amazon, but I can expect or rely on doing that for all series. There is zero chance of it being bought by a NZ channel and I am a diehard fan of QI, having watched each series at least four times*. So while it may be piracy, it fulfills a need, i.e. mine. I live for each episode, each episode makes me laugh harder than anything else (although 8 out of 10 cats comes close. Series F? Abso-bloody-lutely fantastic! Stephen Fry is a god.

* I watch each episode intently, then rewatch / listen to each episode while I'm working.