local viewers who complain the only coverage available is too American-oriented and limited in scope.

The NBC-only coverage is the result of an exclusive Bermuda Broadcasting Company contract with the network.

Two cable channels, which together had programmed nearly continuous Olympic coverage, were blocked out by the contract.

The channels -- 6 (WDIV in Detroit) and 18 (BCTV in British Columbia) -- are playing music videos instead.

A Cablevision watcher, who spoke to The Royal Gazette on condition of anonymity, complained the NBC broadcast doted on American athletes to the exclusion of other Olympians.

She said she was particularly upset with Sunday's two-hour coverage of the USA Dream Team's drubbing of the Angola basketball team, 116-48.

Another anonymous caller was critical of NBC's almost exclusive attention to American athletes.

"They should call it the American Olympics,'' she said. "If there isn't an American in the event, they don't show it.'' She was also angry that NBC coverage was not continuous despite the fact that the games were going on all day.

One viewer suggested that Cablevision was in breach of contract with its customers by dropping channels they had paid for.

His anger flared when he sat down on Sunday to watch the games. His TV guide promised ten hours of Olympic coverage by WDIV in Detroit (channel 2) and eight hours on Canada's BCTV (channel 6). Instead, it was showing music videos.

Ms Deborah DeSilva of Bermuda Cablevision said that since BBC's NBC deal was exclusive, Cablevision had no choice but to black out its Olympic channels.

BBC general manager Mr. Malcolm Fletcher said the International Olympic Committee granted BBC exclusive rights to broadcast the games in Bermuda.

Mr. Fletcher said he offered to share NBC coverage with Bermuda Cablevision but the offer was declined.

Calls to The Royal Gazette yesterday indicated widespread disapproval of the black-out.

One caller said she had purchased Cablevision strictly for its sports channels.

"I'm interested in the equestrian events, but we have heard zip,'' she said about the NBC coverage. "Even though I've got cable, I still don't have the luxury of trying to find something else.'' Mr. Brian Flook, the father of Olympian Mr. Chris Flook, said he was lucky to have caught his son's performance at the Olympic pool yesterday.

A friend called to tell him that coverage was resuming after a break, and the Flooks managed to record the race on tape.

Mr. Flook said he felt that if the coverage had been left to cable television, there would have been more variety.

He indicated he was resigned to the NBC programming, saying families of Bermuda's athletes could just "hope they're going to see'' their children.

Mrs. Irene Mello, sister of equestrian competitor Mary Jane Tumbridge, said she was very disappointed in the coverage available locally.

With the equestrian Three-Day Event starting yesterday, Mrs. Mello said she didn't expect to see her sister but wanted to see something of the event.

"This is our country,'' she said. "People are interested.'' However, Mrs. Virginia Raynor, mother of swimmer Ian Raynor, had no doubts or worries about whether she would see her son.

She watched the swimming on Sunday morning with the rest of the family and was overjoyed to see Ian finish first in his heat.

"I was elated,'' she said.

For homeowners with satellite television, the local black-out is not an issue.

Island Satellite Systems, the company which manages satellite television in Bermuda, said there was no copyright problem because they don't re-broadcast signals.

The company can't block anything out, so if something is on a channel, the satellite customers can watch it.

During the Olympics, satellite viewers have a choice of five channels carrying different events with different anchor teams.