KISS PUCKERS UP AGAIN

Kiss, once one of the leading dance stations, is to return to its roots.

Although not by tearing up its licence and going pirate again; that would just be crazy.

But owners EMAP are signalling that the slow drip of transformation into a generic chart R&B format has been a bust and are hoping to reposition the network as a more cutting-edge dance network once more.

However, it's unclear if the plans can sit comfortably with the other strand of the 'new Kiss' - which involves reducing the level of local input into the regional Kiss stations (including the two Vibe networks, which will become Kiss and feature "the best" of the London Kiss programming). And there's a lot of talk of multi-platform delivery and so on, which may make great strategic sense but doesn't really say much about the music:

Bill Griffin, the managing director of the new Kiss network, who joined Emap from his role of Channel 4 marketing chief, said: "Kiss is one of the biggest youth media brands in the UK and is consistently the number one station for 15-34s in London.

"We wanted to build on Kiss's incredible heritage ... To recognise Kiss's status as a national media brand, we are building on the current 'young, fun London' ethos with a new philosophy - 'first to move'.

Presumably the listeners to what's currently Vibe Bristol can't wait to get some of that young, fun London feel.

music radio kiss