Ocean FM is a British commercial radio station serving South Hampshire , West Sussex and the Isle Of Wight primarily for Portsmouth and Southampton . Originally called Ocean Sound it plays Hot AC music together with hourly local news and information. The station is unusual in having two sister stations- ''' Power FM ''', also serving South Hampshre and the Isle of Wight, and ''' Capital Gold ''' 1170/1557 AM . Power FM is a complementary station, featuring mainly contemporary pop and dance music, whilst Capital Gold is a syndicated Oldies music station, with local hourly news. Ocean FM broadcasts on 96.7 MHz and 97.5 MHz FM, DAB Digital Radio and online {Link without Title} .
HISTORY
Ocean Sound's predecessor, Radio Victory provided the first local radio service in the South of England in 1975 within its small transmission area around Portsmouth. The station was disliked my many listeners and when the Independent Broadcasting Authority re-advertised the Portsmouth licence to include Southampton and Winchester, it lost out to a new consortium called ''Ocean Sound Ltd''. Ocean Sound proposed an expanded coverage area , taking in Southampton. Radio Victory ceased operations in 1985, a couple of weeks earlier than the expiry date of its franchise, with test transmission informing listeners of the unprecedented situation. Ocean Sound took over programme provision in 1986 from a new purpose built broadcast unit in a business park outside Fareham , Hampshire.
Ocean Sound debuted on 12 October1986 , initally with two services- Ocean Sound (West) , covering Southampton and Winchester, and '''Ocean Sound (East)''' serving Portsmouth and the surrounding area. Ocean Sound (West) used 103.2 MHz FM and 1557 KHz AM. Ocean Sound (East) used 97.5 MHz FM and 1170 kHz AM. The East service underwent a change of frequency which was inherited by Radio Victory (from 95.0 MHz to 97.5 MHz FM). Both services shared daytime output with specialist programmes broadcasting uniquely on each service- for instance on Saturday afternoons, an Isle of Wight programme with Jean-Paul Hensford would air on Ocean Sound (West), while an alternative would air on Ocean Sound (East). This was prior to the enforced termination of Simulcasting programmes on FM and AM, which would see both services transformed.
The reason that two statoins launched, rather than an expanded solo station is that Managing Director, David Lucas identified a potential audience in which one was familiar with commercial radio in the East area, whilst one was not (the West area, which the majority of local listening was to BBC Radio Solent ). Ocean Sound (East) sounded livelier that its West counterpart, which took on a more softer sound.
The new stations were a refreshing change, as listeners to Radio Victory lamented their lack of professionalism and a lack of a coherent, agreable sound, both of which were greatly improved. The slogan used at the time- "We're on ''your'' wavelength" suggested this.
NEW STUDIOS
Once the franchise was won, Ocean Sound needed brand-new state of the art studios in Segenswoth East, a district outside Fareham , beside the M27Motorway Hampshire. This move to base themselves outside the two major cities of Southampton and Portsmouth was a strategic one as to not appear sounding biased in favour of either city and to remove any lingering associations with Radio Victory, which was a poorly received radio station primarily focused on Portsmouth.
The following is an excerpt of an interview with Managing Director in 1982 David Lucas in an Independent Broadcasting Authority publication:
''"The original plan was to have studio buildings and offices in both Portsmouth and Southampton,' says Lucas. "But that is an unnecessarily complicated way of doing the job. The important thing is for the programmes themselves to provide a strong and relevant local identity. Contribution studios have been established in both Portsmouth and Southampton to provide direct city-centre access to the airwaves for interviewees and guests"''
''...But Lucas, like some other radio managers, wonders whether the high standards of IBA studio specifications are always necessary. A significant proportion of studio costs comes in sound-proofing them; says Lucas.'Would it really matter if the listener heard the occasional lorry rumbling past outside? With most stations operating on close mic techniques anyway, peripheral noise can be minor'.''
Once the studios were complete staff neede to be hired, almost from scratch. Sales managers and a Head of News were all recruited- ironically from Radio Victory. Construction of the new studios took under a year and finished in time for launch in 1986.
Since then a commercial radio rival based in Segensworth East, Wave 105 launched in 1998, also drawing on The Solent river as the inspiration for the name of the station.
THE GOLD AM AND THE LIGHT FM
1987 saw Ocean Sound undergo a massive reorgansation of its frequencies and services. The stations were:
''Ocean Sound West'' on FM would become FM-only and simply re-named Ocean Sound.
''Ocean Sound East'' on FM would become The Power FM
''Ocean Sound'' on AM would become The Gold AM
with a new addition:
Ocean Sound North- The Light FM
The Gold AM launched on its medium-wave transmitters, effectively permanently separating from its FM counterpart. An all-oldies format playing 1960s and 1970s pop music, it won the right to use the name, after County Sound , a station originating from Guildford , Surrey , also selected ''The Gold AM'', which resulted in the Surrey station adopting its ''First Gold Radio'' moniker.
On 6 December1987 , Ocean Sound's coverange area was extended with an additional service covering the Winchester area. Entitled Ocean Sound (North)- The Light FM this would relay the Ocean Sound East service, with locally focused news, travel and programmes during the morning and early afternoon and early evening. Ocean Sound North could be heard on 96.7 MHz FM.
Ocean Sound (East), continued as before on 97.5 MHz FM, albeit now with slightly older adult contemporary pop music and comprehensive local news, whilst Ocean Sound (East) relaunched as a music-intensive youth pop station- 103.2 The Power FM on 4 December , 1988 . Power FM was designed as a direct competitor to BBC Radio 1 in the area, with a heavy rotation of chart and Top 40 pop and mainstream dance, with quick hourly news and information.
MERGERS, TAKEOVERS AND RELAUNCHES
Sussex radio station Southern Sound looked upon Ocean Sound as a potential takeover target, citing its location in a prosperous and commercially attractive area of England . So in 1992 a merger was agreed forming Southern Radio plc which would see further changes to Ocean Sound. The changes were as follows:
''Ocean Sound'' and ''The Light FM'' would unite as Ocean Sound- Classic Hits (later just '''Ocean FM''').
Power FM would continue.
''The Gold AM'' would merge with Southern Sound's AM frequencies to create South Coast Radio.
South Coast Radio was reduced to an opt-out service from the main Sussex station, sharing output for most of the day with local news hourly and half-hourly at breakfast and drive-time. South Coast Radio would take on a much more relaxed sound with the slogan ''"Nice and Easy"'', playing mostly Easy Listening and soft Gold hits.
In 1994 , Capital Radio , looking for expansion possibilities, opted to purchase Southern Radio plc, which included Ocean Sound, now re-named Ocean FM. This led to more changes, this time to the on-air sound, rather than name changes. Whilst Power FM took on Capital FM 's long-established and successful highly-polished sound, Ocean FM became a more music-led station, playing heavy rotation Soft Adult contemporary hits, with its news and information sequences reduced in length, finishing with the sentence ''"And that's The Way It Is at
