Synopses & Reviews
The inside story behind the success of KISS FM, the former London pirate radio station, is revealed for the first time by Grant Goddard in his new book 'KISS FM: From Radical Radio To Big Business.' The subtitle of the book is 'The Inside Story Of A London Pirate Radio Station's Path To Success.'In 1985, KISS FM had been just one of many illegal pirate radio stations in London playing black music that had been largely ignored by licensed broadcasters. By 1989, KISS FM had won an FM radio licence to broadcast legally in London, having fought off dozens of competing bids from some of the biggest names in broadcasting and industry. By 1991, KISS FM was attracting an audience of one million listeners a week, making it one of the most successful radio station launches in British broadcasting history.The inside story of how a small London pirate radio station was transformed into one of Britain's most successful youth brands is uncovered in this new book. KISS FM's remarkable trajectory was the culmination of a long-running campaign for a black music radio station in London that had been started in 1970 by soul music pirate Radio Invicta. The book also documents the determination of the government and the commercial radio industry to rid Britain forever of pirate radio stations, and the abject failure of their desperate efforts.Goddard was a senior member of the KISS FM management team that steered the transformation from weekend pirate station to successful radio broadcaster. His detailed account will be of interest to KISS FM listeners, the dance music community, media students, broadcast historians, pirate radio enthusiasts and business readers interested to understand how a successful enterprise can be built from almost nothing. This comprehensive, meticulously researched book offers a rare glimpse into the dark and secretive world of pirate radio in London, revealing the naked ambition and greed of some of those involved, as well as the duplicity and lies deployed to destroy others who got in their way. At the same time, it charts the achievement of Goddard's childhood ambition to launch Britain's first licensed black music radio station, and the consequences of that success.Author Grant Goddard is a London-based media analyst specialising in the radio broadcasting sector. For thirty years, he has worked in the radio industry as a senior manager and consultant, in the UK and overseas, and has written extensively about the radio business for consumer and trade magazines. This is his second book.
Synopsis
Three stories in a single book. The first book to document the long struggle of London pirate radio for a legal black music station, started by Radio Invicta in 1970. The first book to document the transformation of KISS FM from a tiny London pirate radio station in 1985 into the UK's leading homegrown youth brand of the 1990's. The first book to reveal the inside story behind the most successful UK radio station launch of its era. 500+ pages. 1,000+ research sources. Author Grant Goddard paints a detailed and critical account of the contemporary UK radio industry. His career in radio started in 1972 on London pirate stations, he worked in local commercial radio before co-ordinating KISS FM's winning licence application and re-launching a large team of mostly club DJ's who had little radio experience as a new legal London station that attracted more than one million listeners within six months. Readers interested in the history of black music in Britain, music radio, media start-ups and the UK government's persistent determination to stamp out pirate radio will find it informative and interesting.