Media regulator Ofcom has set back plans to auction analogue TV frequencies because of the huge public and industry response.

The Digital Dividend Review was set to outline plans for selling off the spectrum this summer, but Ofcom says it now expects to publish its plans in the autumn.

Ofcom received more than 750 responses - the most for any consultation except advertising food for children - so it needs more time to work through them.

Hi-def on Freeview was responsible for the majority of responses from individual members of the public - most in support of a free HD service from the BBC and other public service channels.

The BBC and HDforAll campaign proposed alternatives such as gifting one or two multiplexes for Freeview HD, or holding back some spectrum until there's better evidence of public appetite for either HD or more standard-definition Freeview channels.

Ofcom said it also received a lot of criticism for its market research in the original Digital Dividend Review - particularly over HD - and it expects to publish results of new research in late summer this year.

That will be followed by a policy statement and further consultation on detailed award processes for the spectrum, with statutory consultation on draft regulations in summer 008, and the announcement of spectrum rewards and auctions in winter 2008.

The licenses would be handed out in early 2009 as significant chunks of spectrum started to be freed up by the Digital Switch programme.