Golden West Broadcasting Ltd.[1] is a Canadian radio and digital media company based in Altona, Manitoba. It is the largest independent radio broadcaster in Canada. The company primarily operates small-market radio stations and internet portals in the Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
History
Golden West Broadcasting was founded as Southern Manitoba Broadcasting (SMB) on March 13, 1957 when CFAM signed on in Altona with eleven employees.[2]
The company opened its first FM station in 1962 to serve the Winnipeg area, known as CFMW, but the station was later sold to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1965.
Despite losing money in the Winnipeg market, SMB began to expand its AM coverage in rural areas, starting with CHSM in Steinbach in 1964. The new station initially simulcast from CFAM, launching its own programming ten years later.