VOCM

VOCM is a radio station licensed to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Owned by Stingray Group, VOCM first went on the air on October 19, 1936. Through the "VOCM / Big Land FM Radio Network" of stations owned by Stingray, VOCM programming is carried throughout the province. VOCM and its sister station VOCM-FM are among the four radio stations in Canada having call signs beginning with the prefix VO, the ITU prefix issued to the Dominion of Newfoundland before its confederation into Canada in 1949. The other two, VOWR and VOAR-FM, also broadcast in St. John's; all but VOCM-FM predate the confederation. VOCM-FM adopted the callsign in 1982 because of its corporate association with VOCM; all three of the others signed on before 1949, while Newfoundland was still a dominion, and were allowed to keep the "VO" call signs despite the end of Newfoundland's sovereignty. During the time when the United States had bases in Newfoundland and Labrador, the American Forces Radio and Television Service operated radio station with the "VO" call signs including the last—VOUS in Argentia, which closed in the late 1960s.