VOAR first began broadcasting in the fall of 1929 as '''8BSL'''. In 1930, the station was renamed '''8RA'''. It received the [[call sign]] '''VONA''' ("Voice'''V'''oice of the North'''N'''orth Atlantic"'''A'''tlantic) in 1931 (using the [[ITU prefix]] '''VO''' that was assigned to the [[Dominion of Newfoundland]] before it joined Canada; it is one of four stations, alongside [[VOWR]], [[VOCM (AM)|VOCM]], and [[VOCM-FM]], to still use call signs beginning with '''VO''' rather than '''C'''). It would rename itself '''VOAC''' (Voice'''V'''oice of the Adventist'''A'''dventist Church'''C'''hurch) in 1933, then once more to its current call-sign, '''VOAR''' (Voice'''V'''oice of Adventist'''A'''dventist Radio'''R'''adio) in 1938.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lighthousefm.org/history/ |title = History {{!}} Lighthouse FM}}</ref>
Over the years, the station switched its frequency several times. From the 1950s through 1991, it broadcast at 1230 kHz, originally powered at only 100 [[watt]]s.
