Government could face further legal action over the issuing of cable broadcast licences, The Royal Gazette has learned.

The Department of Telecommunications has given World on Wireless (WOW) the chance to launch a 114-channel service next year but is already facing a legal battle with Hardell Cable, which claims it was promised a licence.

And now SGC Ventures Ltd, which was one of two organisations which lost out to WOW last year in the race to offer digital TV to Bermudians, is also considering suing Government if Hardell's claim is substantiated in the law courts.

“At our initial meetings with Government over a possible licence application we were told by Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb that ‘Hardell is nothing to worry about',” said Grenville Lines, one of the men behind the SGC application.

“We were under the impression that we were applying for the one licence that Government was prepared to offer, on a level playing field - that is why we invested over $100,000 and a year of our time putting together this application.

“But having read stories in The Royal Gazette and heard discussion in the House of Assembly, I am 100 percent convinced that Hardell are entitled to that licence.

“If we had known Hardell had already got the licence, we would not have put in a penny of our money - what would have been the point?”

Mr. Lines expressed anger at the way he, and his company, were misled.

“We were told on a couple of occasions that Hardell was nothing to worry about by the Minister,” he continued.

“That is the only reason we went ahead with our application.

“If it were to transpire that Hardell do have the licence, and we were misled by the Minister, then we would certainly have to think very carefully about taking some form of legal redress.”

But Mr. Lines also felt that due to both impending lawsuits and technical difficulties, WOW's chances of meeting its promised February launch date were “zero”.

WOW president Gavin Wilson responded that he was confident the launch date would be met but said he did not want to comment on any other matters.