TELEVISION viewers clamouring for a clearer reception have inadvertently contrived to damage a technology firm’s financial successes.

Filtronic recorded losses before deductions of £4.1m for the half year to November 30, compared to a £1.7m profit in the same period a year ago.

Revenues fell 63 per cent to £7.3m, with sales across its wireless division dropping from £16.5m to £3.9m.

Bosses say a major one-off deal to supply anti-interference equipment for televisions in the digital changeover skewed the figures, with slower than anticipated sales of new products adding to the strain.

The firm’s broadband division, which is based at Filtronic, at NetPark, in Sedgefield, County Durham, and develops equipment allowing phone users to stream videos of live sporting events and YouTube clips, saw sales remain flat at £3.4m.

That side of business continues to fight the impact of the ongoing unrest in Russia, as political and economical tension weigh down the amount of products eventually sold to the country’s operators.

However, despite the setbacks, Rob Smith, Filtronic’s chief finance officer, told The Northern Echo it expects to recover, with its wireless arm now working on 40 products for manufacturers.

He said: “The main reason behind the drop in the wireless division was that we had a major programme supplying a television interference mitigation filter.

“When the digital changes were made to television, there was interference by mobile phones and we supplied equipment to companies to help those affected.

“That was a big project and brought good revenues for us, but it was a one-off project.

“Those types of things are good when they are here, but not so good when they are not.”

The company’s Sedgefield base employs about 80 highly-skilled workers, who develop chips linking mobile smartphones to networks.

It previously said it hoped to create more posts in the region in a concerted attack on broadband markets, with mobile phone data traffic expected to have increased by nearly half in 2019.

Mr Smith said the base was now working hard on a high frequency radio transmitter project for a US partner, but also revealed it was looking to open a manufacturing site in China next year.

However, he said the latter would not impact on work in the North-East.

He added: “Sedgefield is quite busy at the moment.

“A company put a programme back last year, but at the start of the year turned it back on again, and we are out for more business too.

“China is a long-term option, but we will still be in Sedgefield.”

The Northern Echo last year exclusively revealed Filtronic would remain in the North-East.

It had been based in the former RFMD microelectronics plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, but the US firm moved out of the region raising fears over Filtronic’s presence.