A senior advertising executive from TV3 has left the company to work with Channel 6, the new television service due to launch in the first half of the year.
Daragh Byrne, TV3 sales manager, is to become sales director of the new service, which is backed by former Eircom executive Michael Murphy and the former managing director of advertising agency Carat Ireland, Pat Donnelly. Nicky Kelly, an advertising staff member from NewsTalk 106, has also been recruited.
The company hopes to announce an official launch date within weeks.
It has now raised €14 million in funding. TV3 yesterday said it did not comment on internal staff issues, but Channel 6 confirmed the appointment.
It is understood Mr Byrne, who is well known to the main advertising agencies in Dublin, previously worked with Mr Donnelly in Carat Ireland.
Early reports suggested that Channel 6 might broadcast from outside the Republic in order to get around strict regulation by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).
However, it has acquired a licence - in principle - from the BCI and hopes to occupy office space shortly. The BCI regulates stations in the area of content, news, current affairs and the Irish language.
According to BCI documentation, Channel 6 will be "a broad format entertainment service providing movies, music, drama and comedy and aimed primarily at the 15-35 age group".
