VOCM is an AM radio station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, broadcasting at 590 kHz. 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. The rest of Canada's radio stations use call signs of CB (for the CBC), CF, CH, CI, CJ and CK. Stingray also owns a number of other AM stations in Newfoundland and Labrador that use VOCM as their main or secondary brand. These stations all have C callsigns. History VOCM was started by Walter Banks Williams III, and his father in the family home at 80 Circular Road in St. John's. Williams was very interested in radio, and had attended training at the RCA and the Radio Training Schools in the United States. On December 22, 1933, Williams (through his company, Atlantic Broadcasting Co.) was issued a licence by the Newfoundland Post and Telegraph Department to operate a station from the second floor of the aforementioned family home. With the transmitter and other equipment built by Williams, VOCM began operations as an experimental father-son station operating only a few hours a day. The station's antenna was built in the backyard and the technical equipment was placed in a backroom on the main floor. VOCM had truly been a family affair for some time; Walter's son, Walter David Williams, later joined him in working long hours at the radio station for many years. Later in 1937, Joseph Butler joined Williams as a