The go-ahead for British Sky Broadcasting's proposed subscription channels on the Freeview platform, brand-named Picnic, was delayed yesterday after Ofcom decided it should be included in a broader study of the pay-TV market.

The regulator also published responses to a consultation exercise it began in response to that study. It included criticism from BSkyB's rivals that the satellite broadcaster enjoyed a dominant position in the market, especially in its ownership of sports and film rights. They believed Picnic would augment this dominance.

The timescale laid out by Ofcom led analysts to believe it is unlikely to give a ruling on pay-TV before early spring 2009.

Mike Darcey, BSkyB chief operating officer, said: "More than a year has passed since our initial application with no definitive conclusion in sight. Hypothetical future concerns are not good enough reasons to stifle consumer choice in the short term." Ben Fenton

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