The Bermuda Broadcasting Company yesterday threatened to sue the Island's Olympic Association in a long-running TV war over the rights to next summer's Atlanta Games.

The news came as the BOA released a short statement confirming it had been officially informed by the International Olympic Committee that the BBC had the sole TV rights to the Olympics through its arrangement with the Caribbean Broadcasting Union.

Rival DeFontes-owned VSB -- affiliated to NBC, which holds the US rights to the Games -- had been touting themselves as the Olympic station.

But yesterday the BBC's chief executive officer Mr. Rick Richardson said the statement was not enough and said the BOA had misrepresented the facts of the case in previous statements.

He added: "Our lawyers have written to the BOA stating that unless they issue a public apology, they will sue.'' And Mr. Richardson claimed it had "interfered'' in a straightforward business deal when it had no right to do so.

Mr. Richardson said: "The release is not good enough -- the damage has already been done.'' He claimed that the BOA had: Made a deliberate effort to "cover up'' the fact that the BBC had exclusive rights and; Tried to intervene with Telecommunications Minister John Barritt to ensure the rights went to both broadcasting companies.

Mr. Richardson said: "The BOA put forward an application to the Telecommunications Minister for DeFontes -- but the BOA had no right doing this.'' He also produced a letter from the Department of Communications confirming a meeting had taken place -- on the sidewalk outside the department's office -- and that the Minister of Technology and Information John Barritt had said it was "a matter of contract between the interested parties.'' But Mr. Richardson added that the BBC -- as was its original plan -- would continue to work with other broadcasting organisations, including VSB, to ensure Bermuda got the best Olympic coverage.

But last night BOA President Austin Woods said that neither he or the Association had done anything wrong.

Mr. Woods maintained the Association had never been officially and directly informed of the CBU's rights, although the BBC had provided members with second-hand confirmation in the form of a copy of a letter from lawyers to NBC stating the IOC position.

Mr. Woods added: "We did nothing improper and haven't favoured VSB over the BBC.

"We have no idea what we are being asked to apologise for -- and if the BBC take legal action we will cope with that when it comes.'' And he said: "We don't take instructions from the Caribbean Broadcasting Union or the BBC -- we take instructions from the International Olympic Committee.'' He said the BOA had been approached by VSB earlier this year and asked to negotiate with the International Olympic Committee over TV rights because VSB could not directly approach the IOC.