Kink FM was a commercial radio channel in
the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
dedicated entirely to
alternative music Alternative music may refer to the following types of music:
*Independent music
*Alternative rock
*Alternative pop
*Alternative R&B
*Neo soul, sometimes known as alternative soul
*Alternative reggaeton
*Alternative hip hop
*Alternative dance
*Alter ...
.
In 1992 Dutch radio station
RTL Radio
RTL Radio is a German commercial radio station based in Berlin and the part of the RTL Group. It originated as the German language service of Radio Luxembourg, which began broadcasting after World War II from Luxembourg. It broadcasts adult ...
started broadcasting. After this station failed to be a success, its format and name was first changed to RTL Rockradio, then to Happy RTL and back to RTL Rockradio. In 1995, the name was changed to Kink FM and the ownership split 50-50 between RTL and
Veronica. In 1996, RTL gave up on the cable station and sold its remaining rights to Veronica which is still the owner. From the start Kink FM had to fight for its existence.
Kink FM was available in the Netherlands by cable, in Europe by satellite and in the rest of the world through the internet. It was also on
iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
's list of radio streams and via an
iPhone
The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...
app.
In October 2005 Kink FM celebrated its tenth anniversary. The station's 12.5 anniversary was celebrated by organising a radio takeover. Several well-known Dutch artists such as
Junkie XL
Tom Holkenborg (born 8 December 1967), also known as Junkie XL, is a Dutch composer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, producer, and engineer. Originally known for his trance productions, he has moved to producing electronica and big beat music and fil ...
,
The Nits
Nits (known until 1989 as The Nits) are a Dutch pop group founded in 1974. Their musical style has varied considerably over the years, as has their line-up with the core of Henk Hofstede (the group's lead singer and lyricist), Rob Kloet, drummer, ...
,
GEM,
Voicst
Voicst are a three-piece indie rock band hailing from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. "Voicst" was the name of a stray cat at the band's very first practice space in Amsterdam.
Band members
* Tjeerd Bomhof (lead vocals/guitar)
* Sven Woodside (bas ...
and Rick de Leeuw (formerly of Tröckener Kecks) presented an hour-long radio show filled with the music of their choice.
Despite the fact that most programs were presented by
Dutch diskjockeys (except for Roy Avni (Electronation) an Israeli
DJ, Craig Solo (Hip Hop 120 and Traffic Jam) an English DJ, and
Little Steven
Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. He has appeared i ...
), Kink FM had an international appeal, mainly because of the low percentage of spoken word per hour and its internationally oriented playlist. This is even more so the case with Kink FM's two internet streams: Kink Aardschok, Kink X-Rated and Kink Classics which played music non-stop.
On 29 June 2011 Kink FM owner V-Ventures announced that the station would cease broadcasting on its 16th birthday: 1 October 2011.
On Kink FM's 16th birthday, the station ceased broadcasting. In place of Kink FM the Internet-streams are used by Pinguin Radio.
On 1 February 2019 Kink restarted, not as Kink FM but simply as Kink broadcasting via online channels, such as their own website and via digital radio
DAB+
Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is a digital radio international standard, standard for broadcasting digital audio radio services in many countries around the world, defined, supported, marketed and promoted by the WorldDAB organisation. T ...
. By June 2020 Kink has proven to grow at a steady pace and has proven to have listeners with longest listing time frames within the dedicated listeners group. The channel made national headlines in 2022, when the courts ruled in favour of redistributing the national FM broadcast licenses after a lawsuit.
See also
*
List of radio stations in the Netherlands
This is a list of radio stations in the Netherlands.
National
Public
Public radio in the Netherlands is provided jointly by a number of broadcasting organizations operating within the framework of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting, Netherlands ...
References
External links
*
Kink ClassX: Online radio channel with the best of 50 years of alternative and progressive pop.Kink Aardschok: Kink's Online Metal-Radio channelKinkFM Podcasts: Podcasts of many Kink-showsPinguin Radio - A new station launched by former Kink-FM employees
{{Radio stations in the Netherlands
Defunct radio stations in the Netherlands
Radio stations established in 1995
Radio stations disestablished in 2011