Freesat boss acknowledges supply problem

Manufacturers have been failing to meet demand for Freesat equipment, the company's commercial director has acknowledged.

Richard Lindsay-Davies said talks with firms including Sony, Samsung and Toshiba could help improve the situation in future. A second wave of manufacturers, joining Humax, Alba and Panasonic, were previously expected to produce products to go to market early next year.

"We have not been able to get enough set-top boxes and Freesat TVs to meet demand," said Lindsay-Davies, speaking at the annual conference of the British Audio-Visual Dealers Association.

He also reiterated Freesat's target for growth in the number of channels listed in its electronic programme guide: "We are on course to have 200 channels by the end of this year, and while there is limited free-to-air high-definition content at the moment, it's beginning to grow."