With that one simple, unhelpful statement, Bermuda Broacasting Company general manager Malcolm Fletcher attempted to dismiss another of his station's gaffes -- last Saturday's showing, or rather non-showing, of the English Charity Shield soccer match.

And yet again he demonstrated the contempt in which he and Bermuda Broadcasting apparently hold their fast-diminishing viewing public.

Those who regularly tune in to ZFB or ZBM TV -- and there can be precious few remaining -- are accutely aware that Saturday's confusion had little to do with any technical error.

It was simply another example of the mismanagement that has plagued the Prospect station as it has blundered its way through the past couple of decades, failing hopelessly to respond to the increasing challenges laid down by satellite and cable TV.

Whereas broadcast companies around the world, in countries much less sophisticated than Bermuda, have taken full advantage of the technological advances made available to the electronic media, sadly our own little station on the hill has, if anything, slipped backwards.

Saturday's Charity Shield, promoted on TV and radio, was advertised with a 10 a.m. (Bermuda time) kick-off. Yet when viewers tuned in expecting to see two of Europe's most illustrious sides, English League champions Manchester United and FA Cup winners Arsenal about to wage battle, they were greeted with a match not only in progress, but virtually over.

The game had not started at 10 a.m. but at 8.30 a.m. Both first half goals -- the only goals in regulation time and by all accounts spectacular TV viewing -- had been missed.

And while local football fans -- and there are plenty here who follow the English game especially with an increasing number of Bermudians now playing in that country -- might have consoled themselves with at least coverage of the final 20 minutes and a dramatic penalty shoot-out, they couldn't even be guaranteed that small comfort.

A satellite problem caused a picture black-out just as the shoot-out reached its climax. While the company, perhaps, can't be blamed for that hiccup, they have yet to offer any reasonable excuse for mistiming their coverage.

A simple check with the company that provided the satellite feed, a glance at any one of last week's English newspapers, a turn of the dial to the BBC World Service transmitted locally, would have informed those responsible that the game began at 8.30 not 10.

To the non-sports fan, Saturday's foul-up may seem inconsequential. And an isolated incident as such might be accepted by those without the luxury of satellite or cable TV. But those who depend on ZFB and ZBM for their TV entertainment will tell you this was not an isolated incident.

Bermuda Broadcasting's muddled coverage of the Wimbledon tennis championships earlier this year was another example. To say that the company has an uncanny knack of planting the kiss of death on any "live'' transmission it attempts, would not be far-fetched.

Excuses such as those offered by Mr. Fletcher serve only to further annoy the local TV audience.

One could conclude that incompetence is inherent in the make-up of Bermuda Broadcasting. General Manager-to-be Rick Richardson says he is about to implement changes that will turn the company around. For his and his audience's sake, we hope he's right.