An independent channel

The idea of an independent Sámi Radio had risen in the 1970s, when there was, in the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, an increasing understanding for making programs in the Sámi language. The Sámi journalists formed a separate regional radio in 1985. This was a result of the long-term plans for which the Sámi journalists had, together with Lapland's Regional Radio, worked.

Technically, the Sámi Radio moved a step closer to an independent unit in the summer of 1981, when Martti Aikio was appointed the head of the studio in Inari. All in all, the Sámi Radio strengthened its position within YLE in the 1980s: more journalists were employed, the number of programs broadcast in Skolt Sámi increased, and programs in Inari Sámi were begun.

In the Sámi community outside YLE, people had also started to demand improvements in Sámi radio broadcasting. The Sámi Delegation – the predecessor of the present Sámi Parliament – demanded that Nordic radio connections be improved and a third VHF channel be constructed in the Sámi Area.

The year 1987 was in many ways an important one for the Sámi Radio. The programs were moved to a third channel so that they no longer cut the Finnish programs of the other channels. The Sámi Radio's broadcasting center in Inari was completed, and the Sámi Radio got its own development plan.

The building of the new VHF channel was started from the north. Thus, the Sámi Radio was the first station to be able to use this Channel 3. With the new channel, the Sámi Radio's total number of broadcasting hours grew almost four times bigger.

In the inauguration of the broadcasting center in Inari in October 1987, Sakari Kiuru, the Director General of the Finnish Broadcasting Company, said: "The Broadcasting Company, which has certain tasks given to it by society through the concession, also wants to bear its responsibility for the target groups which are small but make the whole community richer – such as the Sámi."

In Western Lapland, the reception of the radio became better in 1988, when a new transmitter was erected on the fell Yllästunturi. Later, the construction of Lammasoaivi Radio Station brought the north-western corner of Finland within the range of the Sámi Radio.

Even on the third channel, the Sámi Radio soon started to feel the pressure of the Finnish regional programs. Therefore, building a fourth VHF channel in Northern Finland was the only way to ensure broadcasting time for the Sámi programs.

A new network was finally built in the Sámi Area after Reino Paasilinna was appointed the director general of YLE. The State of Finland did not give any support to the construction of a Sámi channel. Thus, the broadcasting company YLE had to pay all the expenses of this cultural deed alone.

The independent radio channel of the Sámi was taken into use in November 1991. At the same time, a link system between the Sámi editorial offices of Norway, Finland and Sweden was completed. In this new situation, the number of Sámi programs on the air increased further.