CIOC-FM

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CIOC-FM
City of license	Victoria, BC
Branding	98.5 The Ocean
Slogan	Today's Lite Rock
Frequency	98.5 MHz (FM)
First air date	1955
Format	Adult Contemporary
ERP	100 kW
Callsign meaning	C I OCean
Former callsigns	CKDA-FM (1955-1965) CFMS-FM (1965-1995)
Owner	Rogers Communications
Website	98.5 The Ocean

CIOC (identified on air as 98.5 The Ocean), is an FM radio station based in Victoria, British Columbia, broadcasting at 98.5 MHz and owned by Rogers Communications. Its format is "lite rock".

[edit] History

CIOC went on the air for the first time in 1955 as CKDA-FM, rebroadcasting the signal of then-AM sister CKDA on 370 watts of power, with both stations owned by Capital Broadcasting System Ltd. The transmitter site was actually a pole placed by the sea in Oak Bay, across from the AM transmitter site on Chatham Island. The primary purpose of the FM station at that time was to assist in getting the AM programming to the Chatham Island site.

CKDA-FM changed its name to CFMS-FM at 6:00 PM on March 21, 1965 and began broadcasting a separate schedule from CKDA, airing an easy listening format between noon and midnight seven days a week before later going to 24-hour-a-day broadcasting. In later years, CFMS switched to a mixed format of adult contemporary music (from 6 AM-7 PM weekdays and 6 AM-6 PM weekends) and easy listening instrumentals (in the evenings and overnight).

On September 1, 1995, Capital Broadcasting sold CKDA and CFMS, with CKDA going to OK Radio Group, the owners of CKKQ-FM (100.3 The Q), and CFMS picked up by CJVI 900 (owned by Rogers Communications). On December 11, CFMS changed to its current full-time adult contemporary format and changed its name to the current CIOC.

[edit] External links

• 98.5 The Ocean - Official website
• CFMS/CIOC history at Canadian Communications Foundation website
• CFMS/CIOC history at Vancouver Radio Museum