Television viewers in the south-east who hoped to be allowed receive British channels from deflector systems over Christmas have had their proposal ruled out by the telecommunications regulator.
Waterford County Council had asked the director of the Office of Telecommunications Regulation to temporarily license illegal TV deflector systems during Christmas.
Councillors wrote to the director's office asking that systems be licensed so people in county areas not covered by MMDS could view British Christmas television.
In a statement yesterday, Ms Etain Doyle, the regulator, said that while she recognised the "attractiveness" of temporarily licensing deflector schemes at Christmas, such a system could not be implemented in the time envisaged. Options for rural TV services were being examined.
