Bubble Hits forced off air by lack of ads
Saturday February 14 2009
THE plug has been pulled on Irish music station Bubble Hits after its funding fell through.
It really was a case of unlucky Friday the 13th for the station's chiefs, who were forced to stop broadcasting the station at 1pm yesterday.
Entrepreneur James Hyland (25), who set up the station with Lee Walsh (25) three years ago admitted to the Herald he was "deeply disappointed" with the collapse of the project.
And despite last-ditch efforts to save the station, he said that they just didn't get the financial support that they had hoped for in recent months.
"Of course it is disappointing but you have to move on," he said.
"There was basically no advertising revenue anymore and this is something that it going to hit right across the board, including RTE and TV3 -- the money just isn't there.
"It wasn't a decision that we took lightly as there's now no TV platform for Irish bands to launch themselves now the station is gone.
"We were getting the support from the viewers alright but the advertising agencies weren't behind us. Obviously we would have liked to have kept it on air but it just wasn't possible anymore."
He now plans to concentrate on his other projects, including his new band with model Michele McGrath.
"We run a company called Creative Sounds which makes radio and TV ads and I'm also working with my new band."
"We went over to Sweden recently to record three new singles and the guys just sound great. We're looking at launching them in about three or four weeks."
mfinn@herald.ie
- Melanie Finn
