Bermuda Broadcasting Company is on track to bring back its terrestrial television service within weeks — and in high definition.

In a statement, BBC said: “Viewers who do not subscribe to a cable TV service will once again be able to access Bermuda Broadcasting’s television service, which was severed when a lightning strike caused extensive damage at the station.

“Major repairs and upgrades are nearing completion and the terrestrial service will be restored well before the America’s Cup in May.”

Patrick Singleton, the chief executive officer of BBC, said: “Our new UHF transmitters will enable us to show the America’s Cup racing live and in HD for free, for all Bermudians.”

The BBC statement said most television sets made within the last five years have digital UHF tuners already installed. Islanders with older TVs will need to check if they have a digital UHF TV antennae — if not, a converter boxes can be purchased at audio-visual supply stores.

As part of the upgrade, the station has fired up two brand new radio transmitters that enhance audio quality for listeners island-wide.

“Our radio stations Ocean 89 and Power 95 are already using the new gear and Inspire 105 is next, along with our two TV stations,” Mr Singleton added.

“The old transmitters have served us well but we want to be more eco-friendly with our power usage. The new transmitters are more powerful in their reach but also more energy-efficient and we can tune them remotely. Engineers are now optimising the audio output and we ask listeners to bear with us while we tweak the system.”