Oldies is a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 25 to 55 years before the present day.
In the 1980s and 1990s, "oldies" meant the 15 years from the birth of rock n roll to the beginning of the singer-songwriter era of the early 1970s, or about 1955 to 1972, although this varied and some stations chose 1950–1969. After 2000, 1970s music was increasingly included, and early 1980s music is beginning to also be called "oldies", though the term "classic hits" is used to distinguish the "new" oldies (the Generation X oldies) from the "old" oldies (the Baby Boomer oldies).
Oldies tunes are typically from R&B, pop and rock music genres. Country, jazz, classical music, and other formats are generally not considered oldies music, although some of those genres have their own oldies format (for instance, classic country), and a number of songs "crossed over" from country to Top 40. Occasionally the term is used to describe the rare station that includes 1940s music as well, although music from before 1955 (coinciding with the "birth of rock'n'roll") is typically the domain of the adult standards format. However, the term constitutes ambiguity for people who like old dancing music.
CISL is a Canadian radio station, in Vancouver, British Columbia, owned by Newcap Radio. The station currently offers an easy listening/adult standards format branded as "CISL 650 Smooth & Easy" broadcasting at 650 AM. It is one of Canada's few remaining successful music stations on the AM dial. The calls in its moniker are generally pronounced "C-Isle".
CISL's studios are located in Richmond, while its transmitters are located on Lulu Island.
CISL originally signed on on May 1, 1980, at a frequency of 940 kHz and a power of 2500 watts. The licence was granted to South Fraser Broadcasting, a group controlled by Michael Dickinson, whose previous broadcast experience included a stint at Vancouver radio stations CHQM AM/FM. While the original music content was primarily contemporary easy listening (and branded as "AM Gold Music Radio"), with its playlist consisting of music released from 1955 to the-then present, overall content placed an emphasis on the community of Richmond (the ISLand in CISL).