The future of BBC Radio World News broadcasts on AM 1160 is up in the air, according to Kenneth DeFontes.

Speaking yesterday, Mr DeFontes said the usual BBC broadcasts went off the air recently so that overdue work could be carried out on the transmitter, however the decision as to whether the broadcasts will resume has yet to be made.

“The main thing is that it used to be sponsored, first by the United Bermuda Party and then by the Progressive Labour Party,” he said.

“A while after they became government, the PLP decided to scrap it and we have been running it as a public service but times have changed.

“If we cannot get any money for it, we might drop it or put something else on the channel.

“These services are wonderful and people love them, but if we cannot make it pay we have to make a decision.”

He partially cited competition as one of the factors at play, noting that there are eleven radio stations on the air competing for the attention of just 64,000 listeners.

“There are just too many stations,” he said. “It’s crazy.”

While a final decision has yet to be made, he said the company is actively taking note of how many people call in about the service.

“Right now, about 25 people have called about it and we are recording their names and phone numbers,” he said. “At the right time we will make a statement or call them all personally.”

Juliana Snelling, a regular listener, said she was disappointed when the broadcasts ceased and hopes that it will return to the air.

“In addition to keeping up with local news, I depend on listening to BBC Radio World News on a daily basis to stay abreast of the world outside the Bermuda bubble and to teach our kids about what’s going on in the world as they listen to world news when we get ready for school in the mornings,” she said.

“We have listened to this for years and the world news, as sad as it is, keeps us grateful each and every day for how lucky our lives are here in Bermuda.”