SaintFM Community Radio

News, features and entertainment

With music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it. Unless you’re a Dalek of course.{a}

About this station

‘Listen Live’ SaintFM Community Radio Link: www.saint.fm {1}

SaintFM Community Radio broadcast a mixture of music, news, features and other entertainment, with live programming between 7am and 9:30pm most weekdays.

Formation and Structure

Following the closure of the original SaintFM, early in January 2013 a new organisation was created as a Company Limited by Guarantee and called ‘SaintFM Community Radio (Guarantee) Limited’ (‘SaintFM Community Radio’, or colloquially, ‘SaintFM’). A broadcasting licence was issued on 22nd February and the station launched at 8am on 10th March 2013.

Programming

SaintFM Community Radio broadcasts live on most days from 7am to 9:30pm. At other times uninterrupted music is broadcast. Programming is largely music based with much Country Music and Christian/Gospel music. Voluntary presenters create many of the programmes. At the time of writing News is not being broadcast. Programme schedules are available on its website.

Transmission

Transmitter coverage is as shown in the diagram, below:

Internet Streaming launched on Sunday 21st April 2013. This stream was re-broadcast in the Falkland Islands (available as a cable channel) and on Ascension Island.

Contact

• Telephone: (+290) 22660

• Website: www.saint.fm

• Post: Association Hall, Main Street, Jamestown, Island of St Helena, South Atlantic Ocean, STHL 1ZZ

Funding

In March 2017 it was announced in The Independent that SaintFM Community Radio and The Independent would henceforth be funded by Lord Ashcroft, in a 3-year deal. Details of the agreement{2} were not disclosed. The agreement was renewed for a further three years in January 2020, again with no details being disclosed.

Regulation & Complaints

Closedown, November 2024, and restart

On Tuesday 5th November 2024 SaintFM posted the following on its website:

Mike Olsson

The legacy of SaintFM is ending

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce a major shift in the story of SaintFM, St Helena’s beloved radio station. Over the weekend, the station’s founder, Mike Olsson, was hospitalized for the second time in a week. On Monday, November 4th, he returned home with devastating news: he has only weeks left to live. True to his dedication and transparent approach, Mike requested that this announcement be made to listeners of SaintFM, the very community he cherished and devoted much of his life to serving.

To understand the gravity of this moment, one must look back on the incredible journey of SaintFM. The station was born to create an independent voice for St Helena - a place where news, culture, and conversation could flourish. From the first broadcast, the passion and relentless drive transformed SaintFM from a fledgling operation into a cornerstone of island life. It became the go-to source for daily news, music, talk shows, and community updates.

Mike is one of the only remaining founders of SaintFM. He dedicated years along with the loyalty of permanant staff and the station volunteers presenters and contributors that work long hours to ensuring that the station not only survived but thrived, despite the logistical challenges that come with running a media outlet on a remote island. His legacy extends beyond broadcasting; it embodies community connection, resilience, and the importance of having an independent platform for news and expression.

The unwelcome announcement came on the morning of November 4th, after receiving his prognosis, Mike asked that his terminal illness be publicly shared on SaintFM. This difficult announcement was made today, reflecting his commitment to openness and the trust he shared with listeners. In light of this heart-breaking development, the remaining staff and the director of SaintFM convened to discuss the station’s future. It was concluded, with deep regret, that operations must come to an end.

SaintFM will close its doors and cease broadcasting on Friday, November 8th at 4 pm. Until then, the team will continue to share news and updates as they come. However, there will be no daily News bulletin for the remainder of the week.

For those who wish to share news or messages during these final days, please reach out via email at fm@helanta.co.sh or call (+290) 22660. The team remains committed to keeping the lines open for the community as long as possible.

The decision to end SaintFM’s broadcasting was not made lightly. Every discussion led to the same inevitable conclusion, despite its emotional toll on everyone involved. The SaintFM staff, knowing how cherished the station is, deeply regrets this outcome but understands the circumstances that have made it unavoidable.

To the loyal listeners who tuned in day after day, thank you. Your support has been the bedrock of SaintFM’s success. The station may be closing, but the impact it has made will echo through the island’s history. Mike Olsson’s legacy, marked by courage and unwavering dedication, will continue to inspire all who knew him or were touched by the station’s broadcasts.

As SaintFM signs off for the last time, we do so with immense gratitude for the community that sustained us and with deep respect for the man who made it all possible.

On the date of ‘closedown’ it was announced that, while live broadcasting would end at 4pm, the channels would not be vacated and an automated playlist would go out thereafter, including pre-recorded announcements. This is because some parties were exploring the possibility of a rescue plan and, if the station ceased broadcasting, its broadcasting licence would expire 24 hours later, thus scuppering any rescue plan.

The station did, indeed, cease live broadcasting on Friday 8th November 2024, though actually at 17:00:51 (accurate timekeeping was never a feature of the station). The final record played was, as with the closedown of SaintFM in 2012, ‘The Carnival Is Over’ by The Seekers.

The first playlist programme was the Paul Blake Show, from the UK.

Restart?

On 22nd November 2023 SaintFM Community Radio posted the following on its website:

Target Date for Saint FM to Come Alive

Written by Saint FM on November 22, 2024

Saint FM is gearing up for its highly anticipated ‘Saint FM Come Alive’initiative, with a target launch date of Friday 29th November.

This timeline is contingent on continued public support, and we’re keen to share the progress we’ve made.

In response to community feedback, Saint FM is launching a GoFundMe page today. You can donate on the GoFundMe page here (Thank you for your support).

This initiative was the most popular suggestion from our audience, and we will also explore other creative ideas shared from on Island in the coming days.

Why This Timeline?

We understand the eagerness to hear Saint FM back on the airwaves, but several key factors have influenced our planned schedule:

• We aim to deliver a fresh start with updated media and polished processes.

• Enhanced the IT Infrastructure: Ensuring reliability and a smoother user experience.

• Starting on a Friday allows us the weekend to address any initial issues.

• The days leading up to launch will be used to rigorously test the system, including the announcement submissions and advertisement operations.

What to Expect:

Starting Monday, 25th November, Saint FM will begin accepting announcements to be aired from Monday to Friday. Emergency announcements only will also be accommodated over the weekend.

Submission Process:

• email announcements and advertisements to toair@saint.fm to ensure accurate and reliable processing.

• For on-air requests to presenters, email studio@saint.fm (Anonymous named requests to will be ignored and not aired)

• For operational queries or suggestions, contact ops@saint.fm

Important Notes and audience expectations:

The station office will not be continuously staffed. Our operations team, working both locally and remotely, will take action as needed to ensure smooth service delivery.

Programming Schedule:

• From Friday 29th November, we will start with breakfast shows at 8 AM, followed by available voluntary presenters.

• Local hourly news will not be included at launch due to resource limitations, but we’re exploring options and welcome community ideas and input.

• Some initial adjustments may be needed as we fine-tune operations, but we are committed to success.

Looking Ahead:

The Saint FM team appreciates your patience and support as we prepare to relaunch with a focus on quality, innovation, and community engagement.

We are on-air to listen to your feedback this is a community project contact us ops@saint.fm

Saint FM Stand Up Team 22nd November 2024

The station did, indeed, ‘Come Alive’ on 29th November 2024. At the time of writing is is broadcasting its former mix of live music programmes including pre-recorded shows, is doing announcements, but is not broadcasting news bulletins (it has not been announced when these will resume). More details on its website and its Social Media feed www.facebook.com/‌SaintFMCommunityRadio.