Periodically (even as recently as today)
someone or other on Facebook makes reference to the fact that I used to be a
supporter of Saint FM but am no longer so.
Usually their remarks make some sort of obscure insinuation that my
change of mind is due to something negative on my part. I have never previously set out why I fell
out with Saint FM. I will now do
so. This is what actually caused the
break.
Catherine and I did Rattling Cages on 20th
August 2016. Over a week later the
partner of a TC Post holder contacted Saint FM claiming we had said things that
defamed ex-pats (which, in fact, we had not - the person had mis-heard what we
actually said).
Saint FM then did three serious things
wrong:
1) they failed to contact us to hear our
side of the story (to date they still have never done so);
2) they printed in the Independent an
apology for the remarks that we never actually made, making us seem guilty even
though we were not; and
3) they failed to make a recording of the
programme (as they were required to do by the Media Standards Regulations),
thus depriving us of the opportunity to disprove the allegations.
At no point have we ever received any form
of apology from Saint FM for these errors on their part. A station should support its voluntary presenters,
not hang them out to dry simply because it is terrified of a Media Standards
complaint that was not even valid. After
eleven years of active support for Saint FM we were appalled to be treated so callously.
Until the management of Saint FM changes
the station will not get any support from me.
Now you have the facts. Ask yourself - if
treated so, how would you have reacted?
