A top broadcaster says official rules are restricting attempts to hold TV election debates.

Scheduled debates will still be shown, says Mr. Rick Richardson. But he wants the regulations scrapped.

Mr. Richardson, Bermuda Broadcasting's acting general manager, is planning ZBM News and Views debates between party figures on Monday and Tuesday.

But he says to put the shows on, news executives will have to "dance around'' the regulations.

It is believed the rules have been in force since about 1980.

Imposed by the independent Broadcasting Commissioners, they ban election debates on the airwaves after candidates have been officially nominated.

Nomination day this time around was last Monday.

If broadcasters break the ban, they could put their licence at risk. But a loop-hole allows stations to show political public meetings in their news programmes.

Mr. Richardson said he had been officially advised that if a televised debate had public involvement and was editorially controlled by the station, then it was allowed.

"We will satisfy all of those stipulations,'' said Mr. Richardson. "We will have a format that basically complies with the regulations.

"We will have invited guests in the studio and it will be controlled by the Bermuda Broadcasting Company news operation.

"We have to dance around things in order to carry out debates in the public interest.'' The company had to take similar action during the 1989 election campaign, he said.

"It's a waste of energy and at some point those responsible for drafting these broadcasting directions will have to take a close look at them.

"It's restrictive and it needs to be re-worked.'' VSB news director Mr. Chris Lodge, whose station is planning a televised clash of party leaders, said: "We're still hopeful to be able to go ahead with the debate, depending on the actual regulations themselves and further interpretation of them.

"We're also looking to see if this applies to the Shirley Dill show.'' Government telecommunications inspector Mr. Ted Pitman told The Royal Gazette : "If you stage a closed debate in the studio with no public participation, it's our feeling that that would not be allowed.

"But if there happens to be a public meeting and you televise it, then that's a different story.'' The rules seemed to have "stood the test of time'', he added. Officials were yesterday unable to recall the reasoning behind the regulations on debates.

Speculation was that the rules were there to prevent "last minute attempts to sway the voters'', or to safeguard against a biased station holding staged discussions.

Full-scale TV election debates could still be stopped if the UBP decides it will not take part.

Participation by the Premier and other party figures was still being considered, UBP executive officer Mr. Joe Gibbons said last night.