Kiss is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Kiss Network. It is primarily aimed at the 15-34 age group and broadcasts nationally to the UK on DAB Digital Radio, as well as on FM in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

and the Severn Estuary, and

East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...

. The station started as Kiss FM - a 1980s pirate radio station that was to become the UK's first legal radio station Kiss 100 specialising in

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

and

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded da ...

. As of June 2022, the station has a weekly audience of 2.5 million listeners according to RAJAR.

History

Pirate roots

Kiss FM first broadcast 7 October 1985 as a pirate radio station, initially to South London then across the whole city, on 94FM. Kiss FM was founded by Gordon 'Mac' McNamee, George Power (of

London Greek Radio London Greek Radio (LGR) is an Independent Local Radio station for London's Greek community, most of which forms part of the ethnically diverse Cypriot community. It broadcasts in both Greek and English on 103.3 FM in London and is also ava ...

), and Tosca Jackson, with its engineer Pyers Easton. Transmitting seven-days from the start, it would be regularly taken off-air by the authorities and so became a weekend operation shortly afterwards. The station developed a cult and committed following across

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person or object in a particular place or area. Greatness can also be attributed to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than al ...

, with figures in the press at the time stating that the station commanded some 500,000 listeners while operating as an unlicensed pirate station, and an

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

readers poll in 1987 put Kiss second behind Capital Radio. Gordon Mac approached a successful London club promoter, Guy Wingate, to discuss ways of improving the Kiss FM profile. As a result, Wingate launched the very successful Kiss nights at the Wag Club (which included the first ever UK

acid house Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthes ...

party – an idea put forward by Colin Faver and Danny Rampling), both DJs on the station. These nights increased the station's credibility with its target audience and Wingate joined the Kiss team, followed shortly thereafter by Lindsay Wesker. Kiss would also run its own night at Dingwalls and adopted the slogan ''Radical Radio''. Mac and 10 of the DJs on the station including

Norman Jay Norman Jay MBE (born Norman Bernard Joseph on 6 November 1957) is a British club, radio and sound system DJ. He first came to prominence playing unlicensed "warehouse" parties in the early 1980s, and through his involvement with the then-pir ...

Jonathan More Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

, Colin Faver, Trevor Nelson, and Tim Westwood would become 'shareholders' in a company called Goodfoot Promotions, with Mac heading up the station as its majority holder. By 1988, Kiss was at its strongest with a DJ line-up which had become the cream of London's clubland, and in that December, Mac and the other shareholders would announce that they would decide to close down in order to apply for a legal licence. This was in response to the

UK Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_est ...

and Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) announcement that 20 new '' incremental radio'' licences would be advertised including one for London. Stations were told that they would have to voluntarily closedown when applying, and so on New Year's Eve 1988, the final broadcast went out with an outside broadcast at Dingwalls. Kiss would submit a strong application with widespread support from listeners, clubs, record labels and music magazines, however on 12 July 1989, the IBA instead awarded the licence to Jazz FM.

Legal licence

Despite the temptation to return to the air again illegally, Kiss held off as the IBA floated that further licences would be made available - which they did so in September 1989. Kiss re-prepared their application but this time would gain the backing and majority investment of media group

EMAP Ascential plc, formerly EMAP, is a British business-to-business media business specialising in exhibitions & festivals and information services. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History Rich ...

. On 17 December 1989, the IBA announced that Kiss had been awarded a licence on their second attempt. Kiss would establish its new studios and office on Holloway Road, and on 1 September 1990, Kiss commenced its legal broadcasting as Kiss 100. Gordon Mac led a countdown in the studio to the official launch - the first tune played being "Pirates Anthem" by Cocoa Tea and Shabba Ranks, followed by

hosting the very first full show. The

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

documentary ''Radical Radio'' followed Kiss as it came off air as a pirate station, gained its licence, built its new studios, and commenced legal broadcasting.

Kiss 101 (Bristol)

Starting out as a

pirate radio station, it became part of the Galaxy Radio network broadcasting to

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

and the West of England, playing

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

, hip hop, urban, R&B and

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...

as Galaxy 101. It was eventually bought by

and became

Kiss 101 Kiss 101 was a radio station in Bristol, England that broadcast to South Wales and the West of England, playing pop, dance, hip hop, urban, R&B and electronic music. The radio station broadcast simulcast to Kiss 100. The coverage was made to ...

in September 2006 and part of the Kiss network.

Kiss 102 (Manchester) and Kiss 105 (Yorkshire)

The Faze FM group licensed the name and logo from Kiss 100 to launch Kiss 102 in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

in October 1994. In February 1997, it expanded into

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

launching Kiss 105. The group was later sold to Chrysalis Radio, and by September 1997 both stations became part of the Galaxy Radio network.

Kiss 105-108 (East Anglia)

The East Anglian and Severn Estuary versions of Kiss were previously known as Vibe FM. EMAP bought the stations from Scottish Radio Holdings in August 2005, and rebranded them in September 2006.

EMAP rebranding and criticism

EMAP took full control of Kiss 100 as early as 1992, but with Mac having left the station in March 1998, EMAP would embark on a rebranding of the station and to align it with the rest of its radio operations. In December 1998, one of stations most popular DJs, Steve Jackson, was dismissed resulting in a high-profile court case, whilst the changes led to criticism from both former presenters and listeners alike, concerned that Kiss 100 was losing its musical direction. DJs

Coldcut Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

, Bob Jones, and Manasseh quit the station in January 1999 in protest at the changes being implemented. Other DJs at this time were being lured away by the increasingly dance-oriented

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...

. Mark Story (previously of

Magic 105.4 Magic Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer. The station is available on 105.4 FM in London and across the UK on Digital Radio, on the Magic Radio app, television and online. It had previously been a part of a ...

) was appointed as the new Director of Music Programming, along with moving the Kiss studios and office to EMAPs main premises at Mappin House,

Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteris ...

, and creating a new logo. Andy Roberts became Kiss Programme Director. In July 1999,

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

reported: "In preparation for the new ad campaign, the biggest in the station's history, EMAP has spent 12 months changing the output of the station. Over 10 DJs have parted company with the station, including Steve Jackson, who won the Sony breakfast show award this year. In the words of Mr Cox MAP marketing director the music on the station has been "smoothed out"."

Ofcom record fine

In June 2006, Kiss 100 was fined a record fee for any UK commercial radio station of £175,000 by media regulator

Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...

. Ofcom punished Kiss 100 for "numerous and serious breaches" of broadcasting codes after receiving 10 complaints from April to November 2005. They involved prank calls on the Bam Bam breakfast show where consent was not sought from the "victims" and controversial material aired when children were likely to be listening. Kiss 100 said it accepted the findings and apologised for any offence

Second rebranding and Kiss network

EMAP introduced a second major revamp of the Kiss brand on 6 September 2006. This included a new logo designed by oddlondon, a renewed focus on dance music, more specialist shows and a new website for all 3 Kiss stations replacing the previous website. The relaunch was implemented simultaneously with the rebranding of Kiss 100's sister dance stations, Vibe 101 and Vibe 105–108 as

and Kiss 105-108 respectively. Changes at Kiss 100 were introduced to address falling listener figures and to keep the station competitive in the highly contested London market. Roberts became its Group Programme Director. A year later, EMAP sold its radio division to Bauer Radio.

DAB changes and Rodigan departure

In December 2010,

approved the request from Bauer to drop local programming content from the three Kiss stations, creating a national service on the condition that Kiss would be available on 35 DAB multiplexes around the UK on the day local information is dropped, rising to 38 within 3 months of the changes. On 27 December 2012, Kiss 100 appeared nationally on Digital One's national DAB multiplex. In November 2012,

David Rodigan David Michael "Ram Jam" Rodigan MBE OD (born 24 June 1951) is a British radio DJ who also performs as a disc jockey. Known for his selections of reggae and dancehall music, he has played on stations including Radio London, Capital 95.8, Kis ...

who had been with Kiss since its legal launch resigned citing the "marginalisation of reggae music" on the station. Under Roberts, Kiss extended its stations, launching Kisstory in May 2013.

Norway and Finland

On 26 February 2016, Kiss was launched in Norway rebranded from The Voice Hiphop & RnB Norway and Finland.

Logo history

File:Kiss 94 FM Logo.jpg, Kiss 94 FM logo from 1985–1989. File:Kissfm100 logo.png, Kiss 100's logo from 1990–1999. File:Kiss-100-old-logo.jpg, Kiss 100's logo from 1999–2006. File:Kiss-100-logo.png, Kiss 100's logo from 2006–2011

DJs/ presenters

Pirate and early legal era

From 1985, DJs and presenters have included:

( Matt Black & Jonathan More), Paul Trouble Anderson, Colin Dale, Colin Faver,

Judge Jules Julius O'Riordan (born 1966), better known by his stage name Judge Jules, is a British dance music DJ, record producer and entertainment lawyer. He is known for his DJ activities, music production and long-running radio show which achieved glob ...

, Tim Westwood, Lindsay Wesker, Max LX & Dave VJ,

Jazzie B Trevor Beresford Romeo OBE, (born 26 January 1963) better known as Jazzie B, is a British DJ and music producer. He is the founder of Soul II Soul. Life and career Jazzie was born in London UK to parents of Antiguan descent in Hornsey, Lond ...

, Steve Jackson, Trevor Nelson, Lisa l'Anson, Danny Rampling and Richie Rich. At its legal launch and early 1990s, this would also include Graham Gold, Dave Pearce,

Patrick Forge Patrick Forge (born Ipswich, Suffolk) is a British jazz, jazz-dance and soul music DJ who spent much of the late 1980s and early 1990s DJing alongside Gilles Peterson at the famous Dingwalls club in Camden, North London. In the 1980s, Patrick wor ...

, Somethin' Else (Chris Phillips &

Jez Nelson Jeremy Nelson MBE (born 1 April 1964) is a jazz broadcaster and television producer. Education Nelson was educated at Dulwich College (a boys' independent school in Dulwich, South London) and at King's College London, where he first began to DJ. ...

), and Gilles Peterson.

Mid to late 1990s

In the mid-late 1990s, DJs and presenters have included: Tall Pall, Matt Jam Lamont, Dreem Teem, Fabio &

Grooverider Raymond Bingham (born 16 April 1967 in Streatham, London, England), better known as Grooverider, is a British drum and bass DJ. He and DJ partner Fabio are regarded as "originators" of the scene.

Brandon Block Brandon Block (born 26 November 1967) is a British club DJ. He has appeared on reality shows like '' Celebrity Come Dine with Me'' and '' Celebrity Big Brother''. He is well known for appearing on stage heavily intoxicated at the 2000 BRIT Awar ...

, Jumpin Jack Frost,

Kenny Ken Ken Delsol (born 12 December 1969), better known as Kenny Ken, is a British jungle and drum and bass DJ and producer. Biography Kenny was working for London Transport when his first big break came around in 1989 as a result of him being a re ...

, DJ Hype,

Ray Keith Ray Keith is a British drum and bass DJ and record producer. He is one of the genre's most well known producers and DJs and is regarded as one of the pivotal figures in the early jungle/drum and bass scene. Biography Ray had an interest for ja ...

, R-Solution (

4hero 4hero are an electronic music group from Dollis Hill, London, comprising producers Mark "Marc Mac" Clair & Denis "Dego" McFarlane. While the band is often cited as ''4 Hero'' or ''4-Hero'', the name is stylised as ''4hero'' on their albums and ...

& Kirk Degiorgio), Tony De Vit, and

Slipmatt Matthew Nelson (born 22 April 1967 in Loughton, Essex, England), better known as DJ Slipmatt, is a British electronic music producer and DJ. He was one half of breakbeat hardcore group SL2, who had a 1992 UK hit with "On a Ragga Tip". Biogra ...

2000s

Since 2000, DJs and presenters have included: Bam Bam, Andy C,

John Digweed Thomas John Digweed (born 1 January 1967) is a British DJ and record producer. ''DJ Magazine'' voted him World No 1 DJ in 2001. As well as achieving success as a solo act, he has collaborated with Sasha as Sasha & John Digweed, and with Nick ...

, Ali B,

Robin Banks Robin Banks is a TV presenter, narrator and radio DJ originally from Kilkenny, Ireland. Career He was the narrator of the British/European version of the popular Discovery Channel show ''MythBusters'', from season 2 to the present day. He ha ...

, Adam F,

DJ EZ DJ EZ (pronounced "DJ ee zed") is a UK garage DJ from Tottenham, North London. He was one of the earliest proponents of UK garage music, hosting a long-running Kiss 100 radio show and mixing the '' Pure Garage'' series of compilations. Biog ...

, Steve Smart,

Carl Cox Carl Cox (born 29 July 1962) is a British house and techno club DJ, as well as radio DJ and record producer. He is based in Hove, Sussex, England. Cox has won and been nominated for numerous awards. He has performed at numerous clubs and ...

Logan Sama Logan Sama is an English Grime DJ from Brentwood, Essex. He has appeared regularly throughout his career on radio stations Rinse, Kiss 100 and BBC Radio 1. He also currently runs the record labels Adamantium Music, Earth616 and KeepinItGrim ...

DJ Hatcha Terry Leonard, better known as DJ Hatcha or simply Hatcha, is a South London producer and DJ notable for his seminal work in the musical genre dubstep. He is divorced from defected DJ Sam Divine. He had a regular show on the prominent pirate rad ...

Paul Oakenfold Paul Mark Oakenfold (born 30 August 1963), formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Madonna, Britney Spears, Mas ...

Armin van Buuren Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren ( , ; born 25 December 1976) is a Dutch DJ and record producer from Leiden, South Holland. Since 2001, he has hosted '' A State of Trance'' (ASOT), a weekly radio show, which is broadcast to nearly 40&n ...

, Rickie Haywood Williams, Melvin Odoom, Charlie Hedges,

Hed Kandi Hedkandi is an English record label, events and music brand owned by Ministry of Sound. Its back catalogue includes both artist albums and dance music compilations. History A record Label founded in 1999 at Jazz FM Radio Station's Enterprise ...

, Philip George, DJ S.K.T , Jordan Banjo and

Perri Kiely Perri Luc Kiely (born 15 December 1995) is a British street dancer, TV and radio presenter. He is a member of the dance troupe Diversity, which won the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'' in 2009. He finished as runner-up in the 12th seri ...

, and Tyler West.

References

External links

* {{coord, 51.51598, N, 0.13844, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Bauer Radio Rhythmic Top 40 radio stations Dance radio stations Radio stations in London Radio stations established in 1985 1985 establishments in England Former pirate radio stations Kiss Network Pirate radio stations in the United Kingdom