Kiss 103.2

Is it really 20 years since the Dublin super pirate, Kiss FM 103.2, appeared on the airwaves ?

For what its worth heres my own memories of Kiss - (some details may need correction !)

I remember the rumours flying around that a high powered station was about to appear and adopt a Hot Hits format - the format that had been so successful for Sunshine 101 and to a lesser extent at Q102 but had flopped when adapted by Capital 104.

Then Kevin Branigan appeared on the Coast FM anorak hour and confirmed that Kiss was about to launch - a (very) good site had been acquired, tower had been constructed and a professional transmitter had been installed.

Friday March 11th 1994 - Kiss launches with the Pointer Sistuers I'm so excited - and then back to back Hot Hits with a JamJingles Kiis FM package to boot.

The format proved very popular , professional DJs and a properly formatted station, alas it was too popular.

In house audience surveys by 104 showed significant audiences for Kiss, with local elections looming politicians were given airtime on 104 to denounce the pirates, rumours that Kiss had approached 104s advertisers directly intensified the pressure.

At the beginning of May Kisses UHF link was jammed with Irish folk music appearing on 103.2, a switch to a FM link only gave short respite as the jammer soon appeared on FM,DLR106 were probably surprised to find themselves on 103.2 across the city on a Wednesday evening !
As invariably happens the jammer jams themselves and by the Thursday the jamming has stopped.

By Saturday 7th the KISS site has been raided, antenna rendered unuseable and Kiss now have to broadcast from their studios on the White hall road, an area infamously difficult to get a signal out of.

For many this is were the Kiss story ends, I was fortunate enough to be able to receive Kiss clearly, an attempt to get back on air from the mountains was thwarted by comreg,while a raid on the studio site in September had been a body blow and ultimately Kiss closed at 7pm on Friday November 11th.