launched.

Covenant Broadcasting Network (CBN) wants to hit the airwaves with a community radio station appealing to church-goers and older people.

The owners put their case to members of the Telecommunications Commission last Friday.

Mr. Gladwyn Doars, electronics engineer and board member of the would-be station, said: "Radio needs to be more aggressive and more in touch with the community, rather than relying on canned music and programming from overseas.

"The whole community should be considered, not just a select few. It's not our intention to be a rehash of the same type of radio programming we are presently experiencing in Bermuda.

"We want to be different and better, but maintaining the high technical and programming standard we have had over the years.'' Mr. Doars told the Commissioners that the station would not seek advertising, only sponsorship, and was intended to be non-profit making.

Board members would also work at the station and many were prepared to give their time free.

But he said that the new station -- a registered charity -- would ask for financial support from the listening public to help support its work.

And he said: "We are not asking to make a profit, we are looking to give something back to the community -- people first, profit next, not the other way around.

"Radio is just a way to reach, teach and encourage the people of Bermuda.'' DeFontes Broadcasting objected to the station being granted a licence on the grounds that the local market was too small and would be further fragmented by a new station.

Station owner Mr. Kenneth DeFontes said the existing advertising market would be split further, making radio advertising less attractive.

He added: "Soliciting sponsorship publicly is not available to the existing broadcasters, even in circumstances where they wish to present specialist programming.

"Covenant may be able to act in a manner which is completely unfair to the existing broadcasting companies.'' Mr. DeFontes added: "There are substantial unanswered questions as to the ability of Covenant to manage a broadcasting enterprise both on the technical and administrative side. These matters should be properly addressed.'' But Mr. Doars, a senior technician with Cable & Wireless, said CBN had no intention of competing for the limited local advertising budget and that he had 30 years of experience in the communications industry, having trained in Britain and North America and had worked in the Bermudian media, including DeFontes.

He added that the popularity of the USA's Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) in Bermuda proved there was a market for an Island-based religious station.

Mr. Doars said BBN was aware of the Bermudian audience and had made arrangements to collect donations from local listeners.

Telecommunications Commission chairman Mr. Charles Collis, said that the US approach to religious broadcasting was not something Bermuda would have to follow.

He said: "We would want to look at regulations in the United Kingdom. We believe they are more appropriate in Bermuda.''