Some 86 community television operators across the State have applied to the Director of Telecommunications Regulation for new licences to operate legal deflector systems. Groups from Cos Donegal, Sligo, Offaly, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Cork, Kildare, Mayo and Galway have all applied for deflector transmitter sites.
"This service is important to thousands of households throughout rural Ireland and we provide a community-based, affordable service which has been running for years," said a Galway councillor, Mr Michael Regan, who is a director of the Loughrea-Athenry Community TV system.
"We do not mind paying fees, such as copyright, and we are prepared to operate under the new licensing system. We are looking forward to getting a licence and the necessary documentation has been with the Director of Communications Regulation for a number of weeks."
The controversy over deflector TV signals looks set to continue as community operators hope to go into competition with companies which have already been granted exclusive licences to provide multi-channel TV under the microwave or MMDS system.
A number of companies say they have made major investments in the system and are now seeing their franchise threatened by the new system of licensed deflectors.
Cablelink, for example, has already spent some £2.5 million on a microwave system for Cos Galway and Mayo. It had to purchase its licence from the then minister for communications and is now telling the new Government that its investment is being threatened by the deflector systems.