Touch FM (Coventry)

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Touch FM

Broadcast area	Coventry
First air date	August 28, 1990
Frequency	96.2 MHz
Format	Contemporary
Owner	CN Group

Touch FM is a radio station broadcasting to Coventry in the United Kingdom. Originally it broadcast as Kix 96.2, a youth station, however CN Group lobbied OFCOM to change the format to that of an oldies station.

An objection from rivals Mercia FM showed that the people of Coventry did not want to lose Kix, but felt that the packaging and presentation of the station were very weak compared to the Muff Murfin era, a time many fans of the station see as its "golden era."

OFCOM turned the request to go to an older format down, however CN flipped the format anyway, but worked round the fact that the present regulations do not dictate a target age group (eg. "Dance" went from being Basement Jaxx to the Bee Gees or "Urban" went from being 50 Cent to George Benson) As a result, it has a different playlist to other Touch stations.

The station has lost roughly 20%-30% of its listners since the name change.

REFERENCE AND SOURCE IS HERE ----> ----> ----> (RAJAR Qs 1-3 2006 - detailed information can be found at www.rajar.co.uk)

The "Golden Murfin Era" of Kix 96 was headed up by Nic Tuff as programme Controller and manic breakfast show host, Chris Brooks who was assistant Programme Controller & Head of Music, and other top broadcasting names such as Dave Kelly, Perry Spillar. The line up then was dynamic, fun and fresh, the whole output was original, fronted by some of the best talent in Radio. I quote Nic Tuff, who once said during a TV interview that "Radio does not need to be bland, it needs to be fun, make you smile, make you think and needs to entertain, something that is the job of each of my presenters at KiX..."

Muff & Ginny Murfin, described as two of the nicest business people you could ever wish to meet or work for, saw the opportunity to develop local radio in Coventry and were keen to ensure that the stations foundations remained in Coventry. For years, the station was financially supported by Muff and Ginny while advertising and sponsorship revenue grew. The revenue growth can only be attributed to a sound programme output that Coventry enjoyed. Eventually, Kix moved from it's home in Spon St (former hospital) to Watch Close. The studio complex at watch close was designed by Nic Tuff. It is a little known fact that the studio's that Kix now use were infact the old "Buzz FM" studio's that were moved from Birmingham & re-assembled in Coventry.