KMFM (radio network)
KMFM is a radio station that was formed from the merger of seven Independent Radio stations and one digital station 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.
KMFM offers its listeners local news and music. 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.| Station | Former name | First air date | Frequency | Broadcast areas |
| KMFM Ashford | LARK FM | 3 October 2005 | 107.6 FM | Ashford, Tenterden, Romney Marsh |
| KMFM Canterbury | 106 CTFM | 21 September 1997 | 106.0 FM | Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay |
| KMFM Maidstone | CTR-FM | 18 October 2003 | 105.6 FM | Maidstone, West Malling and Mid Kent |
| KMFM Medway | Medway FM; Mercury FM | September 1997 | 100.4 FM / 107.9 FM | Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester |
| KMFM Shepway and White Cliffs Country | Neptune Radio | 29 September 1997 | 96.4 FM / 106.8 FM | Folkestone, Deal, Dover and Hythe |
| KMFM Thanet | TLR | 17 January 1998 | 107.2 FM | Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Sandwich |
| KMFM West Kent | KFM; Mercury FM | 8 July 1995 | 96.2 FM / 101.6 FM | Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford and Gravesend |
| KMFM | KMFM Extra; km-d; KM Digital | 1 May 2004 | NOW Kent | Countywide |
Programming
All stations merged to form one station in March 2012. 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.
Originally each station produced its own programming during daytime. Apart from Medway, from 2007 each station grouped with its neighbour to network programmes between 11am and 7pm. The programmes were merged in April 2009 to create two groups with their own networked programming – West and East. At other times 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. Saturday breakfast and Sunday afternoons became networked in 2010. The breakfast shows for KMFM Maidstone and KMFM West Kent were merged in January 2011.
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 broadcast from Cliftonville near Margate. All three stations in the west network broadcast from Medway. 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. This ended in autumn 2011 before being restarted in mid-2012.