(live material is created at the same time as it is broadcast)

(original material includes pre-recorded and live material but does not include repeats or automated or voice tracked).

30 secondary school

• Live output typically comprises 65% music and 35% speech (‘speech’ excludes advertising, programme/promotional trails and sponsor credits).

• Music output comprises pop/easy listening during daytime programmes with specialist music in the evenings and at week-ends. The daytime pop and easy listening amounts to around 35% of the music output. Specialist music may include Blues, RnB and Modern RnB; Folk/World Music; Rock; Jazz; Country and Western; Classical; Urban (Hip Hop, Garage); Drum and Bass, and Techno.

• Speech output includes local briefings/interviews, local news and information, oral history, local sport, drama, local voluntary organisations’ platform, quizzes and entertainment, national news and debate on local issues.

• The service is typically live for at least 7 hours per weekday and 5 hours per day at the weekend. (Live programming may include pre-recorded inserts, if applicable.)   The majority of the output is locally produced.

• A group of local faith leaders provide regular programmes reflecting spiritual views and interests represented locally.

• Evening and week-end programming occasionally features local live music.

• We will be working with young people alongside adult volunteers to encourage and motivate youngsters from all backgrounds including those who do not respond well to mainstream schooling.

• Local business news and views are a weekly feature

• We have phone-ins, occasionally with guests and/or a studio audience on local issues of interest or concern.

• We work with local schools and adult colleges to develop programmes about the culture of the area and programmes that are specifically educational in nature. 

• There is an ongoing programme of training in broadcast related skills and techniques developed with local schools and adult colleges, some of which lead to nationally recognised qualifications. Training for volunteers will include embedded skills for life and media awareness. Our target is to train approximately 50 volunteers annually.

• We provide a platform for voluntary groups, charities, local history groups, local government and anyone else with information for the community.

• Occasionally we broadcast live coverage of local events.

• Our website has a message board and listeners can phone-in and e-mail to our broadcasters with comments and questions.

• Our website provides an archive of local history and related programmes, local news and events, studio facilities, simultaneous web broadcasts with video production, interactive message board, opportunities to advertise and radio station policy documents. There are links to and from our partners.

• We advertise for and train volunteers in all aspects of our operation. There is an open access policy for volunteers. 55 trained volunteers each year is our target (see training details above).

• We have occasional open days for the public.

• We have an open-door policy for local organisations and members of the public.

• Our directors represent relevant areas of community interest such as: local government, schools, local business, music, media, the arts and sailing and we have young student directors. New directors can be voted in at an AGM. There is a management group f the board of directors which includes directors and volunteers. The purpose of this group is to act as a programme review panel and oversee day to day operations. It is chaired by an elected volunteer who speaks at board meetings.

• We are supported and partnered with two democratic organisations, Burnham Town Council and Maldon District Council. Burnham Town Council has convened a programme review panel consisting of a representative selection of listeners. There is a quarterly review of schedules with the station manager. The panel is separate from the radio organisation and is under the control of the town council.

• We have a published complaints procedure and publish an annual report.

We are developing an exciting new curriculum with The Plume School (Academy) that will include disaffected students.

Our website suffered a severe crash (virus?) in the Autumn and is being rebuilt.  Key features are back up and running (eg: listen live, events calendar).

Our local Councils seem to have lost interest for a while but we have regular informal contacts and are looking jointly to new ways of re-engaging effectively and regularly.

Figures are provided previously.

Since making our Station Manager’s post redundant in the Summer (see below), the Station is now run entirely by its Volunteers, and we acknowledged this by broadening our governance structure.  The Board now only meets when this is required to resolve confidential matters pertaining to our constitution – otherwise, the Station is now managed by a Management Committee which includes all Board members plus a range of Volunteers each of whom is responsible for one particular area of delivery, including:
++ programme monitoring, scheduling and review (quality, compliance and consistency)

++ recruitment, induction and training

++ funding and inward advertising

++ PR and outward advertising

++ systems

Volunteers not directly engaged are aware that they are expected to engage in the running of the Station, not least in comment, debate and criticism, and special forums act as a vehicle for this.  We are confident in ourselves, so we encourage debate and constructive argument.  We also encourage and welcome suggestions from Volunteers to enable us to achieve continuous improvement in our programmes.

Our main achievement in the year was however the successful opening of a second broadcasting studio in the Plume School in Maldon, from which we now broadcast regularly on three weekdays.  This means we now broadcast from schools in both Burnham and Maldon, and this has broadened our base for encouraging and training students, as well as drawing local volunteers and engaging with a wider local community.  We think this makes Saint FM unique and are proud to be so embedded in our communities.

Our biggest challenge during the year was to balance our resources against our income and, regrettably, this meant the deletion of our Station Manager’s post in the Summer.  This was a difficult time for both the Directors and Volunteers, but we have come through, we have stayed (and improved) broadcasting, and we are now on a firm long-term financial footing, albeit a more modest one.

We have not carried out any direct audience research during the year, but we do conduct an annual self-evaluation survey, the results of which are attached to this Report.