television coverage, the Broadcasting and Telecommunications commissions kept above the fray.

No broadcasting or telecommunications rules were being breached, spokesmen said.

The Bermuda Broadcasting Company, through its affiliation with CBS TV in the United States, claims exclusive rights to broadcast the Winter Olympics in Bermuda.

Editorial: Page 4 Cablevision's Channel 18, which brings Canadian Olympics coverage to the Island, can be interrupted and replaced with the BBC's CBS feed.

The BBC has said it also has an agreement with Cablevision which allows Channel 18 to carry the Olympic coverage when the BBC is not carrying the Olympics, or when "Cable 18 is carrying something absolutely different to the BBC coverage''.

Fury over the interrupted cable coverage peaked on Friday when the Canadian coverage was replaced with CBS coverage and cable viewers missed Mr. Dan Jansen's gold medal and world record skating performance as a result.

In a letter to CBS in New York, Mr. Robin Henagulph of Devonshire said the American TV coverage was grossly subverting the Olympic idea by its "crass disregard for anything other than commercial expediency''.

Mr. Henagulph's letter was copied to the Broadcasting Commissioners, as well as The Royal Gazette .

But Mrs. Louise Jackson, chairman of the Broadcasting Commissioners, said her body had nothing to do with cable television.

"We only have legislation dealing with free over-the-air broadcast companies,'' she said.

At the Telecommunications Commission, telecommunications inspector Mr. Ted Pitman said the commission had received calls, but "it's nothing to do with us''.

BBC had the exclusive rights in Bermuda and could black out any Canadian coverage it wished, he said. And if cable subscribers "read the contract they signed with Cablevision, they will see that this situation is provided for'', he said.