Emap Radio has today introduced a radical restructuring of its station Kiss FM. Mark Storey has come in as managing director of the station. Storey replaces Dee Ford, who took up the position temporarily after the original MD, Mark Soutar, moved to a more creative post in the company (see Newsline).
Andy Roberts, of Rock FM, Preston, moves into Kiss FM as programme director, and both he and Storey will work alongside the current commercial director Adam Turner. Roberts replaces Mark Matthews, who is to move to the station Roberts came from, Emap’s Rock FM.
However, there are reports circulating this afternoon that large scale redundancies are involved in the restructuring; a spokesperson for the station informed Newsline that ‘staff at the station are currently being spoken to and consulted about the restructure.’
Steve Jackson, presenter of Kiss’s breakfast show, is known to have left the station. Staff at Kiss FM were unavailable for comment this afternoon when contacted by Newsline.
According to a spokesperson for Emap Radio, the restructuring taking place is part of the broadcaster’s strategy to win a larger share of the 15-24 year old radio audience, a prize currently held by Capital. Emap Radio is keen to claim the number one spot in London, and hopes to make the station ‘sharper and more efficient’. This process of ‘reinvention’ not only involves a management restructure, but the programming schedule will now be geared more towards the popular. According to reports, the station fears that it has become too specialist, and in an effort to win more listeners intends to introduce more popular music onto its schedule, especially during its day-time broadcasts.
Emap Radio’s Dee Ford commented: “Kiss is young, fun and dynamic. Its market is constantly changing. To keep moving ahead, it needs to reinvent itself continually. This team is ready for the challenge.”
Both XFM (see Newsline) and Talk Radio (see Newsline) have undergone dramatic changes lately after being acquired by Capital and Kelvin MacKenzie’s TalkCo respectively.
More details on the Kiss FM management restructure will be available on Newsline later.
Emap Radio: 0171 504 6000 Kiss FM: 0171 619 1065
