during hearings before the Telecommunications Commission.

The cable firm's accuser, Hardell Entertainment Ltd., was at the hearings to present a formal objection to Cablevision's application to provide 31 additional TV channels by means of wireless microwaves.

But the commission, which was chaired yesterday by acting chairman Mr. Vincent Ingham, never got a chance to address the microwave objections, which were shared by the Bermuda Broadcasting Company.

Instead, Commission secretary Mr. Ted Pitman said last night, the opposing parties got marred in accusations of copyright infringements and cable airwave piracy.

"We say,'' Hardell lawyer Mr. Delroy Duncan stated, "that Bermuda Cablevision have not been programming lawfully in Bermuda. They are pirating signals for various programmes.'' Claiming to have the documentary evidence to back up his claims, Mr. Duncan added that Cablevision was being allowed to get away with its alleged signal stealing.

"Everyone knows (about) it,'' the lawyer contended. "Cablevision knows it.

Government knows it.'' Eventually, Mr. Pitman told The Royal Gazette , the Cablevision hearing was adjourned by the commission so that the regulatory body could procure its own legal counsel.

"All of these lawyers,'' he said, "were tossing about these accusations. We felt that we should have our own lawyers present.'' Mr. Pitman said the commission would convene on Monday to determine future hearing dates.

Meanwhile, it was also revealed during yesterday's meeting of the commission that Government has retained a Canadian firm, Lapp-Hancock, to review and make recommendations on Bermuda's small telecommunications department.

The hiring, Technology Minister John Barritt said last night, was part of a much-needed two-pronged assessment of the department, which oversees all broadcasting, voice and digital technology on the Island.

Lapp-Hancock, Mr. Barritt told The Royal Gazette , is to evaluate the department's technical capabilities, while an internal systems audit will be conducted by the department itself.

"Demand on the department has increased dramatically in recent years. We're taking stock of what we've got in Bermuda,'' he said.

Mr. Vincent Ingham