KMFM (radio network)

KMFM is a radio station that was formed from the merger of seven Independent Radio stations and one digital station (on the Kent Digital Multiplex) owned by the KM Group, broadcasting to the county of Kent in the United Kingdom. Whilst the station broadcasts as one countywide station, it is still officially eight separate licenses.

For the radio station serving Premont, Texas, see KMFM (FM).

KMFM
Broadcast areaKent
SloganKent's Biggest Hits
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatContemporary Hit Radio
Ownership
OwnerKM Media Group
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitewww.kmfm.co.uk

KMFM offers its listeners local news and music.[1] KMFM plays a mix of music, mainly covering the current Top 40 hits after adopting a contemporary hit radio format in 2012.

Previously, KMFM had aimed at an older audience, including many specialist shows catered for the more acquired taste.

Original stations

When the original stations were rebranded, KMFM operated each of the seven stations locally on FM throughout Kent, with one county-wide station on DAB on the NOW Kent multiplex. Apart from KMFM Ashford, each station was previously independent before being bought by the KM Group and rebranded.

StationFormer name(s)First air dateFrequency(ies)Broadcast areas
KMFM AshfordLARK FM (Never used on air)3 October 2005107.6 FMAshford, Tenterden, Romney Marsh
KMFM Canterbury106 CTFM21 September 1997106.0 FMCanterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay
KMFM MaidstoneCTR-FM18 October 2003105.6 FMMaidstone, West Malling and Mid Kent
KMFM MedwayMedway FM; Mercury FMSeptember 1997100.4 FM / 107.9 FMChatham, Gillingham and Rochester
KMFM Shepway and White Cliffs CountryNeptune Radio29 September 199796.4 FM / 106.8 FMFolkestone, Deal, Dover and Hythe
KMFM ThanetTLR17 January 1998107.2 FMMargate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Sandwich
KMFM West KentKFM; Mercury FM8 July 199596.2 FM / 101.6 FMSevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford and Gravesend
KMFMKMFM Extra; km-d; KM Digital1 May 2004[2]NOW KentCountywide

Programming

All stations merged to form one station in March 2012.[3] The previous local breakfast DJs had been made redundant following the close of their breakfast shows the previous Friday, and all other shows presented by them were also removed from the network.

KMFM Extra, until then a separate station with a separate schedule, was closed down in June 2012 and replaced on DAB with the regular KMFM service. Each area however still offers local advertisements and sponsorships (in the case of the DAB and online services, countywide adverts are heard).

Originally each station produced its own programming during daytime. Apart from Medway, from 2007 each station grouped with its neighbour (West Kent and Maidstone; Canterbury and Thanet; Ashford and Shepway and White Cliffs Country) to network programmes between 11am and 7pm. The programmes were merged in April 2009 to create two groups with their own networked programming – West (Maidstone, Medway and West Kent) and East (Ashford, Canterbury, Shepway and White Cliffs Country, and Thanet).[4] At other times (evenings and weekends) programming was broadcast across all seven stations.

In September 2009, KMFM were given permission to network all programmes apart from Monday to Saturday breakfast, and Sunday afternoons.[5] Saturday breakfast and Sunday afternoons became networked in 2010. The breakfast shows for KMFM Maidstone and KMFM West Kent were merged in January 2011.[6]

Studios

Originally all seven stations broadcast from studios within their transmission area. KMFM Canterbury moved to the Ashford studio in 2008,[7] and KMFM Shepway and White Cliffs Country joined it in April 2009.[8] KMFM Thanet broadcast from Cliftonville near Margate (having been relocated from Margate harbour). All three stations in the west network broadcast from Medway.[9] Each station has however retained its sales teams within the transmission area.

Since the merger of all stations, all programmes are produced and broadcast from the Medway studios. The Ashford and Cliftonville studios have been closed.

News service

Initially, each station provided an independent service during peak hours from their respective newsrooms.

Local bulletins have since been superseded by a county-wide bulletin. This system operates from 6am until 6pm on weekdays and 8am until 1pm on weekends; outside of those hours, KMFM's off-peak news service is provided by Sky News Radio. News bulletins are provided on the hour from the Medway studios; previously the Canterbury studio had been the news hub until this closed in 2009.

Bulletins were also provided at 7.30am, 8.30am, 4.30pm and 5.30pm on weekdays. The half-past bulletins started in September 2006 to replace extended news bulletins at the top of the hour.[10] This ended in autumn 2011 before being restarted in mid-2012.

References
  1. Radio Solutions – kentonline.co.uk
  2. Penny plans to make waves at KM-fm
  3. KMFM Group can have one breakfast show
  4. "Agreed Change of Format: KMFM West Kent and Maidstone (Page 2)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
  5. KMFM to share more programming
  6. KMFM merge two breakfasts Archived 16 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Co-location request for KMFM Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Room for another KMFM in Ashford Archived 4 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Maidstone's KMFM leaves town Archived 17 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Detailed List of Format Changes 2004–2007 – Ofcom". Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
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