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A bent coat hanger and some zip-strips and I can watch channels from two satellites! [read more about this] |
One night
I happened upon Bubble Hits. It was late at night, they were
playing a segment (11pm-0am UK time; Mon-Thur) called "Bubble Cuddle" which I thought was
kinda cute. On the strength of that I slotted Bubble Hits in as my channel 25, in
place of the disgraced B4.
Now lets get the bad stuff out of the way first... This channel plays too much rap. This
is not so much a criticism of the channel as it is a reflection of how many people seem
to think that it is a good style of music. I wonder, do so many people really like rap,
or do they only like it because their parents really hate it? ☺ And, also, this
channel plays way too much of Leona Lewis. I am probably alone in thinking that
she is "okay" (yes, just "okay", nothing special), and it isn't really fair to comment on
the channel playing a Leona song every other song because, well, I think she's got three
or four tracks out at the same time? The word I'd use is "overexposed".
Oh, and the Digital On-screen Graphic is too brash, a spot of subtle alpha-blending would
be much appreciated!
Now here's what is great about this channel. It is, I believe, an independent Irish
outfit I
feel this has given them a certain flexibility, they aren't "yet another clone music
channel". Let's look at Bubble Hits. Possibly entirely unique in the world, they have
broken up their schedule so that we have about three music videos, followed by a small
number of adverts. In fact, the disembodied announcer takes pride in saying "got a
stopwatch handy?" because they'll be back with the music in sixty seconds (I measured
63 seconds!). All in, we probably get the same amount of advertising as any other
channel, but given in small doses like that it's almost pleasant. As soon as the Magnum
Mayan Mystica (that is Eva Longoria isn't it?!?) advert comes on, I know I've just
about enough time to run into the kitchen and grab a chunky-sized KitKat. If I get at all
sidetracked (like pouring a pineapple juice to atone for the chocoholicism), it's a rush
to be back in time for the next lot of songs; unlike some channels where I have
time to put on the kettle, make a tea, drink it, digest it, pee it, and head back just in
time to see that DFS has yet another sale... I don't know who thought up this idea,
but it is brilliant! Fitting in advertising (the necessary evil) in as unobtrusive a
way as possible.
If I could make only one suggestion to the people at Bubble Hits, I would ask if it would be possible for them to look to including some of the lesser known artists and maybe some unsigned ones? Something outside of The World According To Simon Cowell at any rate. Perhaps once in a while some music that is not new, but is good and not the sort of thing you'd find a Clone Channel playing. How about Lamb's "Gorècki", for an example of what I mean...
For those with Sky Digital, it is a free-to-air channel. You'll find it as channel
374.
For those with other receivers, this channel is available across western-central Europe
from Eurobird (28.5° east). If you can pick up British television from the 'Sky'
birds, you'll find Bubble at:
12560MHz, vertical polarisation, 27.5Mbaud, and if you need it: VID=2337
AUID=2338 PCR=2337.

If you wish to email me, please send your message to heyrick at
the domain merseymail.com.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and comments.