Money spent on a Government TV show looks to have gone straight down the drain.

But Government spin doctors involved in the aborted broadcast were slow in revealing what was likely to happen to the axed broadcast.

Opposition leader Pamela Gordon meanwhile has said Government should come clean on how much the broadcast cost taxpayers, and what the PLP plans to do with it in the future.

Despite several Royal Gazette inquiries over two weeks, Government Information Services was unable to answer just two questions: Would the banned broadcast be cut to the Broadcasting Commissioners' required 15 minutes and aired? and; how much did the show cost to produce? The controversial TV spot by Premier Jennifer Smith was last month axed by the Commissioners after it was found to be in breach of regulations covering Government broadcasts.

Another broadcast aired the week before was also found to have over-run the 15-minute-a-month limit for Government broadcasts.

Ms Gordon said: "They are supposed to tell people how much things cost -- it was done using the public's money and using Government Information Services, which is a public body.

"The Government keeps insisting on its accountability and transparency -- there should not be a problem in getting this information.'' And she warned: "It will come out in the wash anyway when the Auditor gets around to auditing it -- but that could be some time away.'' The TV programme on the first 100 days of the PLP Government was pulled off the air by the Broadcasting Commissioners only a day before it was scheduled to run.

The first programme was ruled to have exceeded the rules on length -- at 23 minutes, eight minutes over the monthly limit.

And the second was axed altogether as it was due to be shown in April, the same month as the first one.

Ms Smith was also ruled to have broken the rules on political neutrality in publicly-funded programmes by using the phrase "the PLP Government''.

And Government was warned it was better to "err on the side of caution'' and avoid mentioning the Opposition altogether in Government-funded TV programmes.

The Commissioners' report added that Government Information Services and the broadcasting firms should learn the rules separating Government and party political material before pushing ahead with productions.

Ms Gordon predicted: "I would be very surprised if they decided to alter it and run it now.'' She added that -- even although it was a new month -- her interpretation was that the original broadcast had left the Government eight minutes in the red.

And she said the Commissioners had said provision to give special permission for extra time in April "would be inappropriate''.

Ms Gordon said: "Technically, the only way they could run it is to get permission from the Commissioners.

"But I think now they have lost the effect and it would look like they are trying to fly in the face of the Broadcasting Commission.'' Yesterday, a spokeswoman for Government Information Services said: "I've been trying to find out some information about this myself.

"I have it as something we are following up -- but I don't have anything for you yet on that.''