Kiss 101
Encyclopedia
Kiss 101 was a radio station
in Bristol
broadcasting out to South Wales
and South West England
playing Hip Hop
, dance music
and R&B
. It now forms part of a national Kiss station, which also includes Kiss 105-108
(East Anglia
) and Kiss 100
(London
) and is owned by Bauer Radio.
station called For The People or FTP, which secured a legal licence to broadcast to the city of Bristol
in 1990 on 97.2 MHz FM
. However after only a year on air, it was acquired by the Chiltern Radio Group and was renamed Galaxy 97.2. Chiltern's Paul Chantler
then became the station's programme director and chief executive.
On 4 September 1994, the group won the UK's first regional licence and Bristol's Galaxy 97.2 became Galaxy 101, broadcasting to an area stretching from Swansea
in Wales
through Bristol and south into Somerset
on 101.0 MHz FM
. Since reception quality of the new service was poor in central Bristol, the station was permitted by the Radio Authority to retain its 97.2 transmitter, which beforehand was considered an entirely separate licence.
In October 1995, the station became part of Chrysalis
plc, who invested £1 million in Galaxy 101.
Galaxy 101 was sold to GWR Group and Scottish Radio Holdings
in 2002 and rebranded Vibe 101, but this purchase was subsequently vetoed by the Competition Commission
over concerns regarding control of the Bristol
radio advertising market. The Commission ordered GWR to sell their stake, which was bought by Scottish Radio Holdings
later that year. In July 2005, Scottish Radio Holdings was in turn taken over by the Emap
group, owners of the Kiss brand that Galaxy 102 and Galaxy 105
were formerly licensed to use.
Vibe 101 (latterly broadcasting as Vibe FM) has been relaunched as Kiss 101, effective 07:00 on 6 September 2006 as Emap
integrates the stations of the former SRH into its own portfolio. Kiss 101 launched simultaneously with the rebranding of sister station Vibe 105-108 to Kiss 105-108 and a relaunch of Kiss 100
. All three new Kiss stations started to carry the new Kiss blue logo, and the core music genre was changed to focus more on Dance. Both Kiss 105-108 and Kiss 101 retained many shows presented by the DJs who previously presented under the Vibe brand, but now offer shows that are networked across all 3 stations at the same time.
Emap
gained clearance from the UK communications regulator Ofcom
to network programming between Kiss 101, Kiss 105-108
and Kiss 100
. Emap
have also pledged to significantly increase the amount of specialist programming on the former Vibe stations, with the minimum weekly amount of specialist output stated on the (former) Vibe licences more than doubling from 16 to 36 hours.
Emap sold its radio and consumer magazine businesses, including the Kiss stations, to Bauer Verlagsgruppe
on 29 January 2008, as part of the complete breakup and sale of the company to various suitors. Consequently, Emap Radio now operates as Bauer Radio.
Bauer is now the fifth company to have owned "101" in barely six years.
.
"Nathan Thomson (of the former Vibe Weekender dance show) remains at the station, but is primarily involved in administrative affairs, and no longer does regular presenting or on-air DJing. However he occasionally stands in for other presenters in the event of absence. He still does some on-air DJing when filling in for Ant Nichols for Kiss Fridays in his absence.
As with the other two Kiss stations, the normal daytime playlist is abandoned, with all music for the entire duration of the 3-7pm show being dance music. This is mixed live by the DJ on turntables located at each station's studios, with most tracks being played being the unedited "club mix" versions of those played during regular daytime hours. The repertoire also extends to a broad range of dance tracks, both mainstream and more obscure, from the past decade and a half. As Nathan Thomson is himself a competent club DJ, he fits perfectly into the role of Kiss Fridays on the rare occasions that Ant isn't there to do it himsdelf.
All Local content has been removed as a national version of Kiss from London has taken over. Kiss are increasing their DAB coverage across the UK and by doing that are removing local content from all the stations.
Every Friday from 7pm to 10pm, DJ Steve Smart goes in the mix with Friday Night Kiss
. He also presents Floorfillers on Saturdays nights and Kisstory on Sunday nights.
from the Mendip transmitter in Somerset
at a power of 40 kW
being the most powerful commercial FM transmitter in the UK. This transmitter is, however, highly directional with the maximum permitted effective radiated power (ERP) being directed towards the North West to ensure delivery of a strong signal into South East Wales, particularly Cardiff
, Newport
and Bridgend
. This also appears to be in order to penetrate the Welsh Valleys which lie immediately to the North of Cardiff, and to deliver signal towards settlements at the heads of the valleys such as Merthyr Tydfil
.
In all other directions, Ofcom
's published technical parameters indicate that the radiated power is as little as 400 watts, particularly to the east in order to minimise interference to Classic FM's
Wrotham
relay on the adjacent frequency of 100.9 MHz FM
which serves much of South East England and is located in North Western Kent
.
Kiss 101 also uses a filler transmitter for much of Bristol
and the immediately surrounding area on 97.2 MHz FM
at a power of 200 W
, mixed polarisation, located on the concrete communications tower at Pur Down. This is situated immediately to the West of the M32 motorway, towards the north of the city. The same site is also used by Star 107.2 for their only transmitter. The transmitter broadcasts on the frequency originally used by the station before it won the regional Severn Estuary licence in 1994 and thus clearance to also transmit on 101.0 from Mendip. Prior to this award, the station served Bristol only, with a coverage area no larger than that of Star 107.2.
It can be heard as far north as Droitwich in Worcestershire
, as far west as Swansea
, South Wales, as far South as Bournemouth
, Dorset
, and as far South West as Okehampton, Devon
, and as far east as Membury Services on the M4 before the signal dies out although it is faintly audible on a good radio as far afield as Eastern Cornwall
, Western Berkshire
and, in places, with excellent reception, on the M42 to the South East of Birmingham
. It has good-to-excellent reception in places in Gloucester
and surrounding areas. It can be heard up to just before Strensham Services on the M5 just west of Birmingham
It is also carried on DAB
on the MXR Severn Estuary
multiplex.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
broadcasting out to South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
and South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
playing Hip Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, dance music
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...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
. It now forms part of a national Kiss station, which also includes Kiss 105-108
Kiss 105-108
Kiss 105-108 is the East of England's regional radio station broadcast from Reflection House, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, broadcasting dance music and R'n'B across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and North Essex....
(East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
) and Kiss 100
Kiss 100 London
Kiss is a UK radio station broadcasting on FM and Digital Radio, specialising in hip hop, R&B, urban and electronic dance music. It also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and TalkTalk TV...
(London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) and is owned by Bauer Radio.
History
The station originally started broadcasting as a pirate radioUK pirate radio
UK pirate radio was popular in the 1960s and experienced another surge of interest in the 1980s. There are currently an estimated 150 pirate radio stations in the UK...
station called For The People or FTP, which secured a legal licence to broadcast to the city of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in 1990 on 97.2 MHz FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
. However after only a year on air, it was acquired by the Chiltern Radio Group and was renamed Galaxy 97.2. Chiltern's Paul Chantler
Paul Chantler
Paul Chantler is a radio programming consultant based in the United Kingdom. He has been involved in the radio industry for 25 years as a journalist, presenter, producer and programmer....
then became the station's programme director and chief executive.
On 4 September 1994, the group won the UK's first regional licence and Bristol's Galaxy 97.2 became Galaxy 101, broadcasting to an area stretching from Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
through Bristol and south into Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
on 101.0 MHz FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
. Since reception quality of the new service was poor in central Bristol, the station was permitted by the Radio Authority to retain its 97.2 transmitter, which beforehand was considered an entirely separate licence.
In October 1995, the station became part of Chrysalis
Chrysalis Group
Chrysalis Group is a UK media company. It was founded by Chris Wright, who remains chairman and was listed the 1,000th richest person in the UK in The Times Rich List 2009...
plc, who invested £1 million in Galaxy 101.
Galaxy 101 was sold to GWR Group and Scottish Radio Holdings
Scottish Radio Holdings
Scottish Radio Holdings was a Scottish media company which owned 22 radio stations, and around 30 local newspapers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.-History:...
in 2002 and rebranded Vibe 101, but this purchase was subsequently vetoed by the Competition Commission
Competition Commission
The Competition Commission is a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom...
over concerns regarding control of the Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
radio advertising market. The Commission ordered GWR to sell their stake, which was bought by Scottish Radio Holdings
Scottish Radio Holdings
Scottish Radio Holdings was a Scottish media company which owned 22 radio stations, and around 30 local newspapers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.-History:...
later that year. In July 2005, Scottish Radio Holdings was in turn taken over by the Emap
EMAP
Emap Limited is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences...
group, owners of the Kiss brand that Galaxy 102 and Galaxy 105
Faze FM
Faze FM Radio Ltd was the owner of two dance music radio stations in the North of England.It operated Kiss 102 in Manchester and Kiss 105 in Yorkshire from 1994 to 1997 before being taken over by a larger group.-History:...
were formerly licensed to use.
Vibe 101 (latterly broadcasting as Vibe FM) has been relaunched as Kiss 101, effective 07:00 on 6 September 2006 as Emap
EMAP
Emap Limited is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences...
integrates the stations of the former SRH into its own portfolio. Kiss 101 launched simultaneously with the rebranding of sister station Vibe 105-108 to Kiss 105-108 and a relaunch of Kiss 100
Kiss 100 London
Kiss is a UK radio station broadcasting on FM and Digital Radio, specialising in hip hop, R&B, urban and electronic dance music. It also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and TalkTalk TV...
. All three new Kiss stations started to carry the new Kiss blue logo, and the core music genre was changed to focus more on Dance. Both Kiss 105-108 and Kiss 101 retained many shows presented by the DJs who previously presented under the Vibe brand, but now offer shows that are networked across all 3 stations at the same time.
Emap
EMAP
Emap Limited is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences...
gained clearance from the UK communications regulator Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
to network programming between Kiss 101, Kiss 105-108
Kiss 105-108
Kiss 105-108 is the East of England's regional radio station broadcast from Reflection House, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, broadcasting dance music and R'n'B across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and North Essex....
and Kiss 100
Kiss 100 London
Kiss is a UK radio station broadcasting on FM and Digital Radio, specialising in hip hop, R&B, urban and electronic dance music. It also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and TalkTalk TV...
. Emap
EMAP
Emap Limited is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences...
have also pledged to significantly increase the amount of specialist programming on the former Vibe stations, with the minimum weekly amount of specialist output stated on the (former) Vibe licences more than doubling from 16 to 36 hours.
Emap sold its radio and consumer magazine businesses, including the Kiss stations, to Bauer Verlagsgruppe
Bauer Verlagsgruppe
The Bauer Media Group is a large German publishing company based in Hamburg, which operates in 15 countries worldwide. Since the company was founded in 1875, it has been privately-owned and under management by the Bauer family. It was formerly called Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG, abbreviated to HBV...
on 29 January 2008, as part of the complete breakup and sale of the company to various suitors. Consequently, Emap Radio now operates as Bauer Radio.
Bauer is now the fifth company to have owned "101" in barely six years.
Monday–Friday
| Time | Main presenter(s)/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0000 – 0100 | Midnight Mix (Mon), Logan Sama Logan Sama Logan Sama AKA. L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-OGAN Banks Sama is a British Grime DJ from Brentwood, Essex, who currently hosts a weekly Grime show on London radio station Kiss 100 which has been running since May 2005... (Tue), The Kiss Dubstep Show (Wed), DJ Hype DJ Hype DJ Hype is a stage name of drum and bass producer and DJ, Kevin Ford. His 1993 track, "Shot in the Dark", appeared in the UK Singles Chart in 1993.-Biography:... (Thu), The Kiss Hip Hop Show (Fri) |
London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
| 0100 – 0200 | Sinden (Mon), Kiss Ibiza (Tue–Fri) | |
| 0200 – 0600 | Freddie (Mon), Michael (Tue-Fri) | |
| 0600 - 1000 | Rickie, Charlie and Melvin in the Morning: Rickie Haywood Williams Rickie Haywood Williams Rickie Haywood Williams, , is a radio DJ and television presenter from Croydon, England.-Early life:He attended the Riddlesdown High School in Riddlesdown. At 16 he attended the BRIT School, gaining an A level in Media and a BTEC in broadcast journalism... , Charlie Hedges and Melvin Odoom Melvin Odoom Melvin Odoom is an English-born comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Career:Melvin, alongside Rickie Haywood-Williams, hosts Kiss 100′s Breakfast Show. Their on-air chemistry and entertaining mockery is a hit with the Kiss 100 audience... |
|
| 0900 – 1200 | Justin Wilkes Justin Wilkes Justin Wilkes is an English DJ, record producer, and presenter who currently presents shows for the UK Radio station Kiss. Kiss can be heard on FM & DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and Online.-Radio career:... (including Kisstory from 1100) |
|
| 1200–1500 | Neev | |
| 1500–1900 | Jez Welham | |
| 1900–2200 | Martin Archer (Mon-Thu), FNK with Steve Smart (Fri) | |
| 2200 – 0000 | DJ Swerve (Mon–Thu), DJ EZ DJ EZ DJ EZ is a DJ from Tottenham, North London, specialising in UK garage music. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest DJs ever to grace the UK garage scene.- Biography :... (Fri) |
Saturday
| Time | Main presenter(s)/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0000 – 0200 | DJ Piooner | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
| 0200 – 0400 | Kiss Ibiza | |
| 0400 – 0600 | Neev | |
| 0600 – 1000 | Clara | |
| 1000–1100 | Kiss 10 O'Clock Takeover | |
| 1100–1400 | Jez Welham | |
| 1400–1700 | Martin Archer | |
| 1700–2000 | Kissalicious | |
| 2000–2300 | Saturday Night Kiss | |
| 2300 – 0000 | Kiss Presents Hed Kandi: Hed Kandi Hed Kandi Hed Kandi is an UK-based record label and a music brand which was established in 1999 by Mark Doyle, specialising in funky, soulful house music. Hed Kandi's catalogue includes both artist albums and various genres of club compilations. As well as producing music albums and compilations, Hed Kandi... |
|
Sunday
| Time | Main presenter(s)/programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0000 – 0200 | The Kiss Mixblock | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
| 0200 – 0400 | Armin Van Buuren: A State of Trance | |
| 0400 – 0600 | The Rehab | |
| 0600 – 1000 | Freddie | |
| 1000–1100 | Kiss 10 O'Clock Takeover | |
| 1100–1400 | Martin Archer | |
| 1400–1700 | Michael | |
| 1700–1900 | Kiss UK Hot40 Big Beats Chart: Rickie Haywood Williams Rickie Haywood Williams Rickie Haywood Williams, , is a radio DJ and television presenter from Croydon, England.-Early life:He attended the Riddlesdown High School in Riddlesdown. At 16 he attended the BRIT School, gaining an A level in Media and a BTEC in broadcast journalism... and Melvin Odoom Melvin Odoom Melvin Odoom is an English-born comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Career:Melvin, alongside Rickie Haywood-Williams, hosts Kiss 100′s Breakfast Show. Their on-air chemistry and entertaining mockery is a hit with the Kiss 100 audience... |
|
| 1900–2200 | Kiss Never End Weekend | |
| 2200–2300 | The Kiss Bass Mix | |
| 2300 – 0000 | David Rodigan | |
Schedule
Breakfast and drivetime are the only weekday daytime shows remaining locally produced in Bristol. Matt Rogers & Caroline Cook originally presented the breakfast show, but left to join Heart Radio in Devon and were replaced by Nathan Thomson & Becky Graham. Ant Nichols from Galaxy used to front the afternoon drive show, which is now presented by Reece Carter. When it came to the end of Ant's contract he was made redundant in preparation for the networking of all local programming from Kiss 100 in London. James Merritt still presents the late morning show from Kiss 100 in London, Lunchtime show is now networked from Kiss 100 London with Neev. Previously it was networked between Kiss 105-108 and Kiss 101 with Nikki Elise, previously of Vibe 105-108 presenting afternoons from Kiss 105-108 in Bury St Edmunds. Early evenings between 7-10pm are networked with Kiss 105-108, presented by Will CozensWill Cozens
Will Cozens is a British radio presenter and DJ currently employed by Global Radio as a presenter on The Capital FM Network.Cozens was spotted by the Bauer Radio owned Kiss 100 in 2005, after featuring on Channel 4's Soundclash, originally he presented early breakfast but was later moved to...
.
"Nathan Thomson (of the former Vibe Weekender dance show) remains at the station, but is primarily involved in administrative affairs, and no longer does regular presenting or on-air DJing. However he occasionally stands in for other presenters in the event of absence. He still does some on-air DJing when filling in for Ant Nichols for Kiss Fridays in his absence.
As with the other two Kiss stations, the normal daytime playlist is abandoned, with all music for the entire duration of the 3-7pm show being dance music. This is mixed live by the DJ on turntables located at each station's studios, with most tracks being played being the unedited "club mix" versions of those played during regular daytime hours. The repertoire also extends to a broad range of dance tracks, both mainstream and more obscure, from the past decade and a half. As Nathan Thomson is himself a competent club DJ, he fits perfectly into the role of Kiss Fridays on the rare occasions that Ant isn't there to do it himsdelf.
All Local content has been removed as a national version of Kiss from London has taken over. Kiss are increasing their DAB coverage across the UK and by doing that are removing local content from all the stations.
Every Friday from 7pm to 10pm, DJ Steve Smart goes in the mix with Friday Night Kiss
Friday Night Kiss
Friday Night Kiss is a house music programme on the UK's Kiss Network . The programme runs every Friday from 7pm to 10pm and is presented by DJ Steve Smart...
. He also presents Floorfillers on Saturdays nights and Kisstory on Sunday nights.
Transmitters
The station broadcasts on 101.0 MHz FMFM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
from the Mendip transmitter in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
at a power of 40 kW
Kw
kw or KW may refer to:* Kuwait, ISO 3166-1 country code** .kw, the country code top level domain for Kuwait* Kilowatt* Self-ionization of water Kw* Cornish language's ISO 639 code* Kitchener–Waterloo, Ontario, Canada...
being the most powerful commercial FM transmitter in the UK. This transmitter is, however, highly directional with the maximum permitted effective radiated power (ERP) being directed towards the North West to ensure delivery of a strong signal into South East Wales, particularly Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
. This also appears to be in order to penetrate the Welsh Valleys which lie immediately to the North of Cardiff, and to deliver signal towards settlements at the heads of the valleys such as Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
.
In all other directions, Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
's published technical parameters indicate that the radiated power is as little as 400 watts, particularly to the east in order to minimise interference to Classic FM's
Classic FM (UK)
Classic FM, one of the United Kingdom's three Independent National Radio stations, broadcasts classical music in a popular and accessible style.-Overview:...
Wrotham
Wrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
relay on the adjacent frequency of 100.9 MHz FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
which serves much of South East England and is located in North Western Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Kiss 101 also uses a filler transmitter for much of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and the immediately surrounding area on 97.2 MHz FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
at a power of 200 W
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
, mixed polarisation, located on the concrete communications tower at Pur Down. This is situated immediately to the West of the M32 motorway, towards the north of the city. The same site is also used by Star 107.2 for their only transmitter. The transmitter broadcasts on the frequency originally used by the station before it won the regional Severn Estuary licence in 1994 and thus clearance to also transmit on 101.0 from Mendip. Prior to this award, the station served Bristol only, with a coverage area no larger than that of Star 107.2.
It can be heard as far north as Droitwich in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, as far west as Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, South Wales, as far South as Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, and as far South West as Okehampton, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, and as far east as Membury Services on the M4 before the signal dies out although it is faintly audible on a good radio as far afield as Eastern Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, Western Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
and, in places, with excellent reception, on the M42 to the South East of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. It has good-to-excellent reception in places in Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
and surrounding areas. It can be heard up to just before Strensham Services on the M5 just west of Birmingham
It is also carried on DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
on the MXR Severn Estuary
MXR Severn Estuary
MXR Severn Estuary is a regional commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, which serves the West of England and South Wales, including Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, the South Wales Valleys and north Somerset....
multiplex.