KMFM (radio network)

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

KMFM

File:KMFM.gif
Company type	Independent Local Radio
Industry	Broadcasting
Founded	2003
Headquarters	Kent
Products	Local Radio
Website	[1]

KMFM is the name of seven Independent Local Radio stations and one digital station (on the Kent Digital Multiplex) owned by the KM Group, each broadcasting locally to a region of Kent in the United Kingdom. Although similarly branded, the stations are officially seven separate licenses.

KMFM's target audience are 25-54 year old males and females in Kent and offers its listeners local news and music. KMFM plays a mix of music covering the current Top 40 hits and pop songs from the 80's and 90's, along with some of the classics from the 60's and 70's. Further to this, KMFM's specialist shows cater for the more acquired taste which include KMFM Dance, Essential 80's and Sunday Night Love.

Stations

KMFM operates seven local stations on FM throughout Kent, and 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.

Station	Former name(s)	First air date	Frequency(ies)
KMFM Ashford	LARK FM (Never used on air)	October 3, 2005	107.6 FM
KMFM Canterbury	106 CTFM	September 21, 1997	106.0 FM
KMFM Maidstone	CTR-FM	October 18, 2003	105.6 FM
KMFM Medway	Medway FM; Mercury FM	September 1997	100.4 FM / 107.9 FM
KMFM Shepway and White Cliffs Country	Neptune Radio	September 29, 1997	96.4 FM / 106.8 FM
KMFM Thanet	TLR	January 17, 1998	107.2 FM
KMFM West Kent	KFM; Mercury FM	July 8, 1995	96.2 FM / 101.6 FM
KMFM Extra	km-d; KM Digital	May 1, 2004	NOW Kent

Programming

SInce July 2010, following the relaxation of OFCOM regulations, each KMFM station produces its own breakfast show on Monday to Friday (West Kent and Maidstone share a breakfast show since January 2011). At all other times, programmes are networked across all seven KMFM stations. KMFM Extra has its own schedule.

Previously Saturday breakfast and Sunday afternoons had also been local - this had been the case since September 14, 2009, following approval from OFCOM the previous month.

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 2 groups with their own networked programming - West (Maidstone, Medway and West Kent) and East (Ashford, Canterbury, Shepway and White Cliffs Country, and Thanet). At other times (evenings and weekends) programming was broadcast across all seven stations.

Studios

Originally all seven stations broadcast from studios within their transmission area. KMFM Canterbury moved to the Ashford studio in 2008, and KMFM Shepway and White Cliffs Country joined it in April 2009. KMFM Thanet currently still broadcasts from Cliftonville near Margate (having been relocated from Margate harbour). All 3 stations in the West network broadcast from Medway. Each station has however retained its sales teams within the transmission area.

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 7pm 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; and also 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.

• KMFM Group News Editor - Nicola Everitt.

Broadcast journalists include.

• Lauren Hood.
• Rhona Jamieson.
• Martin Jeffries.
• Jessica Banham.
• Nisha Chopra

External links

• KMFM KMFM EXTRA