Licensees frustrated over big screen supplier

Floods of licensees have contacted The Publican still desperate for information about big screen supplier Satvision. As news broke of the company's...

Floods of licensees have contacted The Publican still desperate for information about big screen supplier Satvision.

As news broke of the company's demise, licensees from all over the country called The Publican's offices wanting to know their position.

It is understood that hundreds of pubs have equipment they have either hired, leased or bought from Satvision, which went into liquidation on Monday, February 5.

Many licensees still have lease agreements with the company and are unsure whether to continue direct debit payments.

Handel Rich, licensee at the Stag Hotel in Treorchy, Mid Wales, is annoyed after being unable to speak to anyone about his faulty screen.

"We started having problems three weeks ago - the screen takes an hour to warm up.

"It's frustrating because we show a lot of sport," he said.

At the Duke of York in Chiswick, South West London, licensee David King has two 42" plasma screens he has been leasing for a year.

"We are just keeping our fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong with the system," he said.

Meanwhile, Jason Watson, licensee at the Queen Anne, in Openshaw, Manchester, has been leasing a 6ft by 5ft screen from Satvision for five years. "I was completely left in the dark initially," he said.

"But I've spoken to the finance company I was making payments to and they have said I should carry on as normal."

Satvision's managing director Les Vigerstaff claimed the company went into liquidation because of "non-payment of outstanding bills from some of our major group customers".

A creditors' meeting is due to be on Monday (February 19). Simmonds & Co are expected to be named as official liquidators at the meeting.