CKMW-FM

CKMW-FM
Broadcast area
Pembina Valley Region
Frequency88.9 MHz
BrandingCountry 88
Programming
FormatCountry
Ownership
OwnerGolden West Broadcasting
CFAM, CJEL-FM
History
First air date
August 1, 1980 (1980-08-01)
Former call signs
CISV (1980–1987)
Former frequencies
1530 kHz (AM) (1980–1987)
1570 kHz (1987–2013)
Call sign meaning
Morden and Winkler
Technical information
ClassC1
ERP67,000 watts (vertical polarization)
100,000 watts (horizontal polarization)
HAAT55.5 meters (182 ft)
Links
Websitepembinavalleyonline.com/country88

CKMW-FM is a Canadian radio station licensed to Winkler, Manitoba, serving the Pembina Valley Region broadcasting at 88.9 FM with a country format branded as Country 88. The station is currently owned & operated by Golden West Broadcasting.

CKMW shares its location with sister stations CJEL-FM and CFAM.

History

It first began broadcasting at 6 a.m. on August 1, 1980 at 1530 kHz with the call sign CISV.

In 1987, CISV received approval to relocate to 1570 kHz, and increase its nighttime power to 10,000 watts to match its daytime power. After facing significant financial difficulties, Sun Valley Radio sold CISV to Golden West Broadcasting, owner of CFAM in nearby Altona. Sun Valley had faced issues selling the station as a standalone operation, and Golden West told the CRTC that acquiring the station would allow it to benefit from its larger scale and sharing of newsgathering resources with CFAM, while having its country music format act as a compliment to CFAM's full-service format. Golden West constructed new facilities for the station, and re-christened it CKMW.

Move to FM

On July 16, 2012, Golden West received approval from CRTC to convert CKMW from the AM band to the FM band. The new frequency previously assigned was 103.7 MHz. On January 8, 2013, the CRTC granted permission for CKMW to broadcast instead on 88.9 MHz, as well as increasing the average effective radiated power (ERP) from 61,000 to 100,000 watts (maximum ERP remains at 100,000 watts) and changing from a directional to a non-directional antenna. The station relaunched as Country 88.9 at 88.9 FM on June 12, 2013. Following its move to FM, CKMW was permitted to simulcast on both AM and FM for a transition period of three months, ending in September; the station ceased broadcasting on AM 1570 on August 30, 2013.

References

  1. ↑ "CISV 1530 Sun Valley Radio". Steinbach Carillon. July 30, 1980. p. 21.
  2. 1 2 "CKMW-FM – The History of Canadian Broadcasting". Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. ↑ "CFAM-AM – The History of Canadian Broadcasting". Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  4. 1 2 Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-383, CKMW Winkler – Conversion to the FM band, CRTC, July 16, 2012
  5. ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-5, CKMW-FM Winkler – Technical change, CRTC, January 8, 2013
  6. ↑ Launch Day is Coming! Archived 2013-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, 88.9 FM - Pembinavalleyonline.com, June 3, 2013
  7. ↑ YouTube: "1570AM Transmitter Shut Down - Friday, August 30th 2013"

49°07′16″N 98°04′03″W / 49.12111°N 98.06750°W / 49.12111; -98.06750