TV viewers will be the ones to suffer from CableVision and the Bermuda Broadcasting Company being unable to resolve their bitter dispute.This was the overwhelming response from residents who spoke out last night about whether cable TV prices should be slashed if channels seven and nine are axed. About 30 concerned residents attended a public enquiry to have their say on the ongoing row between CableVision and the BBC.The two companies remain at loggerheads with CableVision poised to drop ZBM and ZFB from their line-up by the end of the year because of retransmission fees. One resident, who gave his name as Mr Kendall, told the Telecommunications Commission at the Anglican Cathedral Hall: “It seems every time there’s a dispute, the customer is the one that suffers.“We’d be getting less than what we pay for now. Why pay more for less? It seems very unfair”.Martine Purcell urged the two companies to “work together and do something for the customers.”She said she didn’t object to paying “one or two extra dollars” for the channels but added that the situation was “very, very sad”.Raymond Seymour raised concerns about pricing and said there should have been a marketing survey to get feedback from a larger number of customers.He said: “As customers we should have that option to have our say.“This has to be fair to everyone. We can’t have two companies who may or may not see eye to eye making a decision”.Michael Davis said: “Why can’t they just charge one or two extra dollars rather than fighting and taking the channels off air? It’s common sense”.Telecommunications Committee Chairman Ronald Simmons had to interrupt speakers on several occasions as tempers flared. He said it was an “emotive issue” and urged everyone to stay calm.A total of about 15 written and spoken submissions were made with people having opposing views on the value of the two channels.Some seemed willing to pay a little more each month, while others called for rates to be reduced without the channels.Kenneth Dill’s statement said: “When the channels are eliminated, the price should be reduced accordingly. We the general public should have to pay a bit less.“The change should be reflected in the new sets of prices and packages”.Anita Perry wrote in an e-mail that without the local channels, CableVision’s basic tier “would be a bunch of garbage”. She said: “As usual, Bermuda is being totally screwed by all telecommunications companies”.One woman said she was “very upset” as “channels seven and nine were the only channels worth watching”.Another woman said she would rather go without the channels than pay extra for them as there was “a recession of Biblical proportions”. She said: “Please don’t make the public suffer anymore, Bermuda is already overpriced”.One woman, who did not give her name, simply said: “If they drop these channels, I will drop CableVision”.Rick Richardson, CEO of the BBC, said both companies “went to the table three years ago and worked out an agreement”.He said the Mediation Agreement of 2008 gave subscribers a choice of opting for the local channels at no extra cost.Mr Richardson said: “We worked out an agreement and it was good for all, it was a win-win situation.“We did our part and don’t want to come across as the bad guys. We did sit and we did work through it and we did it well.“We entered into an agreement three years ago and stand ready. They (CableVision) have chosen not to carry them”.Mr Richardson agreed that if the channels were dropped there should be a reduction in cable fees as the two channels “have a value”.Fernance Perry, chairman of the BBC, said he “didn’t want to say anything derogatory” about CableVision and didn’t want them “to think he was their enemy”.He said: “It’s sad that we have come to this situation, that we’ve had to invite the public to have their say on paying for the economy tier. This could have been decided and settled between us … Cablevision is not suffering financially but the BBC is and we employ 50 people up there”.Mr Perry added: “This is not something light, this is something very serious. It affects the pockets of poor people”.Cablevision general manager Terry Roberson briefly addressed the Telecommunications Committee to say he was grateful for the opportunity to hear people’s views. He said he had written down everything that had been said and promised to “take it to heart”.Mr Roberson added: “To sit and shoot shots across the bow is silly”.In CableVision’s written statement to the Telecommunications Committee, Mr Roberson wrote that they did “not wish to pay fees for something which has always been free, which remains free for those with antenna, and which according to our surveys our customers do not want to pay for”.He said the pricing structure should not be altered, as the two channels would be replaced with yet-to-be-selected channels.The Telecommunications Committee will submit its confidential report to the Minister by the end of the month.However, the public can still e-mail their comments to gtelecom[AT]gov.bm or fax them to 295-1462.