Up to 4,000 households in parts of Cos Waterford, Wexford and south Kilkenny, including Dunmore East and Tramore, will have their multi-channel deflector TV service switched off from midnight tonight on the expiry of a six-month stay on an injunction granted to Cablelink last year.
The High Court had put a stay until January 7th on the interlocutory injunction granted last June restraining Anthony Power and Coastal Multi Systems Ltd of Dunmore East from retransmitting British television signals.
However, a spokesman for Coastal Multi Systems said they would be lodging an immediate appeal to the court and were confident they would be able to resume service soon.
He said the company had no option but to comply with the terms of the existing injunction, but once it came into effect the appeal could be brought forward. The deflector operator is also initiating an appeal to the European Court.
The latest development is part of the long-running campaign of legal action by MMDS and cable companies to close unlicensed deflector operations throughout the State.
Proceedings have also been threatened against community TV groups in Cos Mayo and Galway, while Southcoast Community Television, the group operating in Co Cork, is awaiting judgment in proceedings which began in the High Court last October.
The National Community Television Association (NCTVA), representing community television retransmission operators serving over half a million rural viewers, last month criticised the Government over the lack of a retransmission licensing system.
Mr Alan Dukes, the minister for transport, energy and communications in the last government, announced last May the introduction of a new UHF multi-channel licensing scheme to promote competition for the provision of multi-channel television in non-cable areas.
A Director of Telecommunications Regulation, Ms Etain Doyle, was appointed, and various groups have applied for licences.
The spokesman for Coastal Multi Systems said they had applied for a licence last year, but the scheme appeared to have been "put on the long finger". They had been informed that the Director was carrying out a review of frequencies and other aspects of the scheme.
The NCTVA, in a statement following a meeting in Athlone last month, said: "In contrast to the Rainbow Coalition who were committed to the licensing of a nationwide UHF TV retransmission scheme and who brought the necessary enabling regulations to an advanced stage before leaving office, the present administration have halted all work on the completion of these regulations and have effectively abandoned their commitments to licence community networks."
Mr Michael Power, of Coastal Multi Systems Ltd, yesterday called on public representatives "to assist our efforts to bring decent multi-channel to all areas of Waterford, Wexford and south Kilkenny."
The Waterford Labour TD, Mr Brian O'Shea, in a statement yesterday said uncertainty should be removed "regarding the provision of quality multi-channel television at a competitive price in Co Waterford.
"The Director states that there is a wide range of issues that she needs to examine, and further, given the complexity of the matter and the statutory responsibilities imposed upon her . . . she needs to ensure that all appropriate aspects are fully addressed before she can make any decision on it."
Mr O'Shea added he had told the Director yesterday that the loss of television signals to thousands of people at this time of year was a major reduction in the quality of life, and he had asked that the position be clarified. He had also urgently requested the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, to assist.