Shadow Telecommunications Minister Trevor Moniz has offered his professional arbitration skills to help solve the ongoing cable broadcast row.

Mr. Moniz also claimed that “the Bermudian public will be the losers” if the threats of legal action, and now personal attacks, against the Government decision to give World on Wireless (WOW) a broadcast licence continue. Two companies, Hardell and CableVision, have launched legal action against the Government while a third, SGC Ventures, has threatened it.

And in the ongoing saga's most ominous twist, Gavin Wilson, president of the company which is hoping to launch its 114 channel in eight weeks' time, had his cable ripped out by someone with “specialist knowledge”.

Mr. Moniz called for all the interested parties to sit down and try to deal with their various concerns, offering to mediate himself as he is professionally qualified to do, but only if all the sides were willing to accept binding arbitration. But he admitted that may be unlikely because he thought some of the parties were acting in “their own selfish interests rather than the public interest”.

“What we are striving for is an inexpensive and efficient cable service in Bermuda,” he told The Royal Gazette. “But we seem to be in a bit of a quandary here. Arbitration could be the way out of this, and I would be happy to offer my professional services if people are willing to accept binding arbitration.

“My concern, however, is that some people seem to be in this just to make as much fuss and noise as possible - acting in their own selfish interests rather than the public interest. The problem stems from the fact that this is a new area for Bermuda, dealing with new technologies. The lack of regulations created some grey areas and when you have grey areas you have lawyers moving in.”

Mr. Moniz, unlike Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb who has called for only one competitor to break CableVision's monopoly, believes many companies should be allowed to enter the marketplace - for the benefit of TV watchers all over the Island. “The more competitors the better, the more choice the better,” he continued.

“CableVision has a monopoly which they are seeking to protect at any cost but that is not in the interest of the public. People want an efficient and low cost service and they are most likely to get that if there are more competitors in the marketplace.

“If there is enough room in the broadcast spectrum then the best option would be to have as many companies operating as possible. If we can have three cellphone companies, why not three cable operators? We need more companies, more competition, and I think the Minister should just get on with it.”