THOUSANDS OF TV viewers in Oxfordshire are on schedule to get reception back by the end of September.

But hopes of a TV licence fee rebate for eight months of poor signal were dashed last night.

Digital viewers have been experiencing poor signal since February when workmen started preparing the mast at Beckley for next year’s digital switchover.

Sky and cable viewers have been unaffected.

The work, which involved fixing a new antenna to the structure, was due to be completed in May.

But on the day the workmen were putting the finishing touches to the equipment, a fire broke out on the mast and about 410,000 homes lost all television reception for several hours.

The main antenna was destroyed beyond repair and work was knocked back four months as a completely new piece of equipment was built.

Last night, Arqiva, the company carrying out the work, said tests would be run over the next few weeks.

Spokesman Bruce Randall said: “The commitment is there and we are on schedule.

“The workmen have been working extremely hard to get everything in order and now it’s just a matter of getting on with the work.

“We won’t commit to an exact date, that would be ridiculous. But what we can say is everything is on schedule as it stands at the moment.”

Mr Randall said he could not say what caused the fire at the mast or how much it has cost to replace the antenna as it was ‘commercially sensitive’.

Jeff Nesbit, of Challow Road, Wantage, said he would be raising a glass in September after nine months without ITV, Channel 4 or FIVE.

He said: “I’m glad things are on for the end of the month, but I can’t help feeling a little bit of a grudge against the company working on the switchover for the way it has been handled.

“I can’t imagine what the advertisers are thinking either.

“There must be thousands of people who are affected by this who aren’t seeing their adverts.

“I think if I was them I’d ask for a refund.

“As for me, I’ve got used to it now.”

In May, the Oxford Mail called for compensation or a licence fee refund for the thousands of TV viewers without a signal.

But last night Digital UK, the company organising the nationwide Digital switch-over for the Government, said compensation was not available to affected viewers and the agency’s responsibility was to ensure the digital switchover happened successfully.

A TV Licensing spokesman said it would also not be handing back viewers their licence fee as only some of the channels the licence fee covered were affected.

The spokesman added: “We would advise anyone experiencing reception problems to contact the BBC’s reception advice line on 0370 010 0123 or visit bbc.co.uk/reception.”