Transmitters
The station broadcasts on 101.0 MHz FM from the Mendip transmitter in Somerset at a power of 40 kW being the most powerful commercial FM transmitter in the UK. This transmitter is, however, highly directional with the maximum permitted effective radiated power (ERP) being directed towards the North West to ensure delivery of a strong signal into South East Wales, particularly Cardiff, Newport and Bridgend. This also appears to be in order to penetrate the Welsh Valleys which lie immediately to the North of Cardiff, and to deliver signal towards settlements at the heads of the valleys such as Merthyr Tydfil.
In all other directions, Ofcom's published technical parameters indicate that the radiated power is as little as 400 watts, particularly to the east in order to minimise interference to Classic FM's Wrotham relay on the adjacent frequency of 100.9 MHz FM which serves much of South East England and is located in North Western Kent.
Kiss 101 also uses a filler transmitter for much of Bristol and the immediately surrounding area on 97.2 MHz FM at a power of 200 W, mixed polarisation, located on the concrete communications tower at Pur Down. This is situated immediately to the West of the M32 motorway, towards the north of the city. The same site is also used by The Breeze for their only transmitter. The transmitter broadcasts on the frequency originally used by the station before it won the regional Severn Estuary licence in 1994 and thus clearance to also transmit on 101.0 from Mendip. Prior to this award, the station served Bristol only, with a coverage area no larger than that of Star 107.2.
It can be heard as far north as Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, as far west as Swansea, South Wales, as far South as Bournemouth, Dorset, and as far South West as Okehampton, Devon, and as far east as Membury Services on the M4 before the signal dies out although it is faintly audible on a good radio as far afield as Eastern Cornwall, Western Berkshire and, in places, with excellent reception, on the M42 to the South East of Birmingham. It has good-to-excellent reception in places in Gloucester and surrounding areas. It can be heard up to just before Strensham Services on the M5 just west of Birmingham
It is also carried on DAB on the MXR Severn Estuary multiplex.
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