24-Hour Michael Bolton Station Declares Bankruptcy
By Editor | December 3, 2007
Austin, TX - 12/3/07 — Austin, Texas fans of the singer Michael Bolton will have one less thing to celebrate this holiday season. The 24-hour Michael Bolton radio station will be going off their airwaves later today.
For nearly five months, “Bolton 106 FM” has been a dream come true for die-hard Michael Bolton fans. The venue played Bolton songs around the clock, breaking only for advertisements and tidbits of Michael Bolton trivia. (Did you know he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?)
The all-Bolton radio station was the brainchild of Austin entrepreneur Bolton Michaels. Michaels first heard of Michael Bolton five years ago, when somebody pointed out that his name was basically “Michael Bolton” in reverse. Before that, Michaels had never heard of the singer.
“It was the greatest day of my life,” he explained. “I checked the guy out because people were always making jokes about my name, and I fell in love at first listen. Not love love, mind you … just artistic love. I started planning the radio station the following year.”
At first, Bolton Michaels’ 24-hour Michael Bolton station idea got people interested. Early funding came from various fan groups, and even a few Austin financiers pitched in.
“Everything was going great for the first couple of months,” said Michaels. “MB has done quite a few songs of his own, and a ton of covers. So we had enough material to run a daily loop with very little repetition. All of the Boltonites in Austin went crazy for it.”
But in time, as it seems, the repetition grew tiresome to even the most die-hard Michael Bolton fan. Listeners began to drop away, and the advertisers soon followed suit. Without advertiser revenue, the monthly stipend from the fan clubs was not enough to keep Bolton 106 FM on the air.
Down but not beaten, Bolton Michaels already has his next venture lined up.
“Right now I’m planning a David Hasselhoff discussion group for public access TV here in Austin. It will be like any other talk show, except all-Hasselhoff … all the time.”
Related story about David Hasselhoff.
Sound Off, Austin
Were you a loyal listener of Bolton 106 FM? Do you have a message of thanks for Bolton Michaels? Let us know and we will share your words. Just drop your message in the “Comments” box below.
Topics: Austin News |
December 4th, 2007 at 10:00 am
This is really sad. My heartfelt commiserations to both Michaels and Bolton.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Wow. This is like an article you’d find in The Onion, especially with the Hasselhoff discussion group thing at the end. The fact that this is NOT a joke tells me I never, ever want to go to Austin, Texas. Never.
January 19th, 2008 at 3:54 am
I’m an older fan of Mickael Boltons’ music & I guess a little behind on the news but this man has [had?] such an amazingly beautiful voice . What ever happened to him? Is he still with us? I sure hope so but if he isn’t Please give my Gratitude to his family for sharing his preacious gift & time with us,the public . A Fan in Ark.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
baby, how am I supposed to live without you? how am I supposed to carry on?