BSkyB’s launch plans for its digital terrestrial television pay-TV service Picnic are stuck in a holding pattern, after Ofcom announced yesterday, yet another consultation into the service and in Sky’s positioning in the UK pay-TV market. On Tuesday, the regulator published the responses it had received from Sky’s competitors, including the original four that first complained of the broadcaster’s dominance—Virgin Media (NSDQ: VMED), Setanta, BT (NYSE: BT) and TopUp TV. The additional consultation will happen sometime by the end of summer, which the Guardian.co.uk, says makes it “unlikely” that Sky will launch Picnic, which will include four paid-for channels offering news, movies, entertainment and sports, before next summer even if it does get the go ahead from Ofcom. Picnic will show Premier League Football on the sports channel, which makes a summer launch that coincides with the start of a new football season the most logical timing. In its response to Ofcom, BSkyB (NYSE: BSY) said they “fundamentally disagree with the markets that Ofcom has defined and with its attribution of market power to Sky.”

All Responses To Ofcom Consultation