HIGH Court battle now looks likely over the transmission of British TV channels' to rural communities in the west of Ireland, and the controversy is set to become an election issue over the coming weeks.
Cablelink, which has the legal franchise for the transmission of the channels using a microwave signal, has issued proceedings against deflector groups in Galway and Mayo.
Yesterday, a spokesman for the deflector groups said they would contest the action.
Feelings are running high in many western constituencies over what residents feel is Cablelink's heavy handed approach to the community based deflector groups. A candidate has been nominated to contest the general election for deflector operators in Donegal.