CABLEVISION chairman Rod Hansen yesterday launched a blistering attack on Telecommunications Minister Ren?e Webb, as any rapid resumption of cable television service appeared unlikely.

Mr. Hansen accused Ms Webb of making misleading statements and questioned the motives of the Government throughout the licence renewal process.

Earlier in the day, Ms Webb said that her ministry had offered CableVision the opportunity of a temporary permit on Wednesday night, but the company had turned it down and had instead blacked out its television service. With both sides appearing to consider the ball in the other's court, CableVision subscribers were left without a service yesterday and could only watch the three local channels by disconnecting their cable and rigging up antennae.

CableVision's licence expired this month and it had hoped for a 15-year extension, but the Government offered the company just one year.

With some customers having paid in advance for their service, CableVision last night promised to give refunds for lost service.

Ms Webb (pictured right) has said CableVision could be offered a new licence when an agreement on service improvements had been reached - and negotiations are 95 per cent of the way to a deal, she said yesterday.

Mr. Hansen said yesterday: "While these (hopefully) final negotiations are going on with the ministry, we - and frankly many of our customers - are left wondering about the motives and methods employed by the ministry throughout this licence renewal process.

"At no time over the 18-month period were we given any indication that the ministry wanted to attach conditions to our licence. So why was this 11th-hour brinksmanship improsed on everyone?

"It is unfortunate that Minister Webb appears to be making a deliberate attempt to damage our image as well as our relations with our customers. Why has she made so many detrimental and misleading statements about CableVision, and all in the public forum?

"Her suggestion that we only took steps to improve service because the ministry asked us to is a gross misstatement and one that she knows is contrary to the written record. Our mission is to serve our customers, not the ministry."

Mr. Hansen accused Ms Webb of suddenly ceasing all communications with CableVision and "speaking to us only through the media".

He added: "One is left to ponder to what degree this might be a political public relations exercise, were it not for the unfortunate result that Bermuda has had its business-government relations portrayed to the world in such a negative light."

Ms Webb said yesterday that once the service level agreement had been signed, a new licence could be issued. The Minister's statement continued: "The ministry is very much aware that this process could not be completed last (Wednesday) night and for that reason, the Solicitor General, in a telephone conversation with Mr. (Alan) Dunch (CableVision lawyer), verbally offered the opportunity for Bermuda CableVision to request a temporary permit from the ministry, which Mr. Dunch refused.

"It is our hope that common sense will prevail with this process and that Bermuda CableVision will undertake the option of applying for a temporary permit so that services can be resumed this (last) evening."

Mr. Hansen asked: "Why would a Government minister push a private company - one that is majority-owned by Bermudians - to the brink of its very ability to survive and then accuse it of making threats?"

The chairman added that CableVision had proposed negotiating up until midnight on Wednesday evening. "But instead we learned that Minister Webb was again taliking to the media, this time telling people we were making threats and that they should go home and unplug their cable boxes and tune in to local TV. It seems she wanted us to shut down."

CableVision's general manager Jeremy Elmas said last night that customers who were paying for cable service they were not getting would be refunded.

"We do have a policy in place where we issued a refund to customers if their cable service is out for more than 24 hours," said Mr. Elmas.

"And in the current situation - which we very much hope is temporary - we will, of course, uphold this."

CableVision yesterday set up a phone line for senior citizens to call if they needed help in setting up their antennae to watch local channels. The number is 294-2986.