The United Bermuda Party has pledged to scrap Government's new TV station, which is set to be unveiled on Sunday, after labelling it costly, unnecessary and liable to be used for political propaganda.

UBP Leader Michael Dunkley told a press conference yesterday that his party would boycott the opening. He said: "We do not believe Government television is needed in Bermuda. We see it as a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. And we believe it will be used for propaganda by the PLP Government."

Glenn Jones, Premier Ewart Brown's press secretary, hit back at the remarks last night. Mr. Jones said: "It seems monumentally stupid that someone would brand a television station as propagandist even though he's never seen it. I've met the Opposition Leader; he's not monumentally stupid. So I can only assume that he is afraid of something. Maybe he is afraid that Bermudians are about to have the opportunity to get closer, more connected, to their Government. If I take his fear into account, only then can I understand why a Government television station would make an Opposition Leader nervous."

Last year, Government allotted $840,000 for the project and in this year's budget set aside $690,000 and five full-time staff for the station, which is housed among the classrooms at the new Berkeley school site in Pembroke. The Opposition questioned why the station was at the secondary school and voiced fears Government TV could be a vehicle to freeze out the free press.

Senator Bob Richards said: "We have a population of approximately 65,000, and we have three TV stations, four if you want to include Fresh TV. We don't need more." He said no guidelines have been issued about its editorial content and nothing had been said about who can appear, for how long and who has right of reply.

Senator Richards added: "Throw in the PLP's long-held goal to control the press, the Premier's controlling personality, his ruthless approach to politics and a Government that does his bidding at the drop of a hat and you have a recipe for erosion of democracy in our society. We have a problem with the Government committing millions of dollars to TV programmes when it could be spending those dollars on real programmes to help people. This is a self-centred undertaking that has nothing to do with improving the lives of people."

Mr. Dunkley said the UBP had become frustrated by some of the treatment it got from the press but soldiered on.

"The important thing to remember is that in the space between Government and the press runs the lifeblood of a free society. The PLP like to think their problems with the press are peculiar to Bermuda. We disagree. The PLP's problems with the press are the same problems we have with the press. They are the same problems governments and political parties around the world have with the press."

Beverle Lottimore, Government's director of communication and information, said last night that the new station - dubbed CITV - would come under the regulations and guidelines of the Ministry of Telecommunications and the Broadcast Commission.

"Unlike traditional media, CITV does not own an antenna by which to independently broadcast but feeds its production through both CableVision and WOW," she said. "These entities are also regulated by the Telecommunications Act and Broadcast Commission and, I would assert, neither would wish to endanger their operating licenses."

Ms Lottimore added that the station was "created out of a request made by the people of Bermuda for direct communication with its government" and would mean public officials could reach out to the community.

She said it would allow Bermudians to be privy to more than just one side of the story and better able to draw their own conclusions. "The Government has extended an invitation to the Opposition Party to participate in the launch of this public broadcasting channel because we recognise them as part of the community that the Government serves," she said. "Whether they attend or not is a matter for their organisation; however, today's exercise by the UBP may prove the defining moment that supports the very need for a station like CITV."

Mr. Jones said he hoped "decency" would prevail and that Mr. Dunkley would issue an apology after watching the content of the new station, which launches on Sunday at 7 p.m. on CableVision Ch. 2 and WOW Ch. 102.