KISS FM: breakfast show blog tasks

 Audience

Look at the KISS media pack carefully. This will give you a brilliant background to the brand and how they target their audience (important note: it features the old Breakfast presenting team). 

Answer the following questions:

1) Read page 2. What is KISS FM's mission?

Their content solutions deliver the latest trends across each platform. The strategy encompasses on-air and online, proving digital is as important radio, social as important as live events, and they all work together to create the ultimate 360 destination to hear, see, share and discover and mainly entertain 15 to 34 year olds.

2) Look at page 3. What is the target audience for KISS FM? As well as writing the key statistics from the media pack, try and suggest what psychographic groups would fit the KISS audience too.

The KISS audience is a 15-34, 60/40 Female to Male split and united by their love of music and the cool stuff

they’re into right now. This might suggest a middle class audience that relate to each other and their audience is predominantly urban, but increasingly national with 65% now living outside London.

3) Now look at page 5 - The KISS network. How does KISS use digital media and technology to reach its audience? 

They use social timelines to YouTube, live events and on- demand streaming on apps, KISS connects with its audience through a multi- platform strategy of presenting content around the music they love and the things 

they’re into, wherever, whenever and however they want it.

4) Now look at the other side of page 5. What content do KISS Fresh and KISSTORY offer and how can audiences access those stations?  

KISS FRESH is where you’ll find exclusive first plays of the biggest track from some of the hottest artists and

producers in the industry. KISS FRESH is available on DAB (in London), Freeview, Sky, plus at KISSFMUK.COM, via the KISS Kube app, on social and at events. KISSTORY spins the very best Old Skool and Anthems from R’n’B, Dance, Garage and Hip Hop, expect to hear tracks from Beyonce, Eric Prydz, Jay-Z, Artful Dodger and Sean Paul in big shows from Pandora, Wideboys, Majestic and Justin Wilkes.

5) Read page 6. What are the different ways audiences can actively engage with the KISS radio brand? 

They can actively interact with KISS radio on the KISS Kube app, online on social media, on the radio and at any live events.

6) Are listeners to the KISS Breakfast show active or passive? You can argue this point either way - explain your opinion in your answer.

I think the listeners are active of the breakfast show as they love to chat, on social platforms reaching a potential 321m people and they have many different ways to interact with the radio and also they can use it to communicate withe their long distance friends and family.

7) Now think about the clips you've watched or listened to of the KISS FM Breakfast show with Jordan and Perri. What audience pleasures are offered by the KISS FM Breakfast show? Use Blumler and Katz Uses and Gratifications theory here.

Diversion- because they entertain the audience as they make funny jokes and comments.

Personal relationships- they are best friends themselves and the audience can relate to them.

Surveillance- they were a part of political movements to ensure equality

Personal identity- they were in a group called "diversity" and they can spread diversity and it's importance to he audience.

8) How have audiences changed in terms of how they listen to music and radio since the 1960s?

Nowadays, due to the increase in usage of social media by younger audiences, not many youngsters listen to the radio anymore, only some elders and a more elderly audience sometimes listens to the radio.

9) How does the KISS FM Breakfast show contrast with Tony Blackburn's 1967 Radio 1 Breakfast show and the launch of BBC Radio 1?

The KISS Breakfast show is more entertaining and relatable and they are independent whereas BBC Radio 1 copied the style of pirate radio and have many oppositional readings as they are not as enjoyable of as radio station.

10) Use Stuart Hall's Reception theory to offer a preferred and oppositional reading of the KISS FM Breakfast show. For the preferred reading, why do fans love the show? On the oppositional side, why might someone criticize the show or not want to listen?

The preferred reading might be for the audience to enjoy and relate to the show as they have funny and amazing hosts, but the oppositional reading could be that they aren't showing the most diversity as the hosts are of one ethnicity.

Industry 

1) When did KISS FM first launch and what type of station was it then? 

It was originally an illegal station that became legitimate as it grew in popularity and it was first broadcasted on 7th October 1985 as a pirate radio station.

2) Look at the Bauer Media Group's list of brands. How many different types of media can you find on there? What brands do you recognise? 

There are many different types of media including radio stations and newspapers with all different genres and music to listen to from all different time periods. There is also heat magazine shown and all the Kiss radio stations such as KISSTORY and KISS FRESH as well as KISS itself.

3) How does KISS FM make money? 

 KISS FM makes money through advertising, sponsorship and events (such as summer festivals and the Wembley Arena Halloween party). The KISS FM Breakfast show is one of the most popular slots for the radio station so losing around one million listeners over the last few years means Bauer Media cannot make as much money from the KISS brand as it used to. Indeed, Bauer Media Group's revenue is down from 2.3bn euros - in part due to the increasing pressure on traditional media such as magazines and radio.

4) How many listeners does the KISS Breakfast show have and how has this changed in recent years?

The station attracted 500,000 listeners while operating as an unlicensed pirate station. The previous breakfast show hosted by Rickie, Melvin and Charlie had over 2 million listeners but by the time Jordan and Perry took over it was already down to 1.4m. The most recent figures have Jordan and Perry at 980,000 listeners so less than half the 2m figure the KISS FM Breakfast show used to enjoy.

5) How is KISS FM regulated and what can happen if they break the rules?

KISS FM is regulated by Ofcom. This means the KISS FM Breakfast show must follow the Ofcom broadcasting code and not include anything inappropriate for children or younger listeners and if they break the rules, they could get fined, like they were in 2006.