Our Story

Newfoundland Broadcasting was built on vision, conviction, and independence.

In 1946, at just 24 years old, Geoff Stirling launched The St. John’s Sunday Herald with $1,000 in savings and an unshakable belief that Newfoundland deserved its own voice. The weekly publication quickly became a cultural institution and later evolved into The Newfoundland Herald, which ran for 76 years. To be featured on its cover was a distinction that reflected influence, achievement, and community impact.

Geoff’s vision extended far beyond print. Over the following decades, he built radio and television stations across Canada and the United States, at one point owning as many as 23 stations. He later sold his outside holdings to focus his energy and investment on Newfoundland and Labrador, strengthening the media landscape of his home province.

In 1955, he brought television to Newfoundland and Labrador with the launch of CJON-TV, now known as NTV. Critics questioned whether local television could succeed in this market. Geoff proved that it could. Under his leadership, NTV expanded into radio, pioneered 24-hour television broadcasting in the 1970s, and extended its reach by satellite to ensure viewers across both the island and Labrador could stay connected.

In 1977, he launched OZFM, Newfoundland’s first commercial FM radio station. OZFM grew into a province-wide network and remains on the air today, continuing to serve communities across Newfoundland and Labrador.

Working alongside him for decades was his son, G. Scott Stirling, a creative and strategic leader who helped shape and expand the company’s identity. Scott played a central role in strengthening NTV’s national distribution through cable and satellite partnerships and is guiding the company into the digital era. Under his leadership, NTV expanded its digital platforms and streaming services with NTV+, ensuring audiences across the country and around the world could remain connected to home.

Scott also championed original storytelling rooted in Newfoundland and Labrador’s culture and spirit. He was the creative force behind the iconic superhero characters Captain Newfoundland, Captain Atlantis, and Captain Canada, imaginative symbols of strength, resilience, and pride that captured the hearts of a generation. Beyond the comic pages, his creative influence helped shape community programming, cultural initiatives, and local engagement efforts that reinforced NTV’s place at the heart of the province.

NTV’s flagship broadcast, the NTV Evening Newshour, has been the province’s top-rated news program for many years and remains one of the most trusted sources of journalism in Newfoundland and Labrador. The newsroom has earned numerous industry recognitions for excellence in reporting, investigative journalism, and community service. In 2001, Stirling was inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was awarded the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Beyond news, NTV has consistently delivered premier entertainment programming to local audiences. Viewers have enjoyed leading series such as Survivor, NCIS, The Young and the Restless, Wheel of Fortune, and Entertainment Tonight, alongside NTV’s own local productions. This balance of trusted news and top entertainment has made NTV a daily destination for audiences across the province.

Today, three generations strong, the Stirling family continues to lead Newfoundland Broadcasting into the future.

Under Scott’s leadership, the company has navigated industry disruption and rapid technological change while preserving its independence and local focus. The third generation is now actively shaping the next chapter.

His daughter, Lydia McLaughlin, recently appointed Vice President, oversees all departments and is leading the company’s digital growth, strengthening streaming platforms, and positioning NBC for continued expansion in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

His son, Jesse Stirling, supports national sales initiatives and has hosted Meetings with Remarkable People for more than 20 years, conducting thoughtful long-form interviews that reflect the company’s commitment to meaningful storytelling.

Nearly eight decades after a young entrepreneur sold newspapers door to door, the founding principle remains unchanged:

Newfoundland and Labrador deserves its own voice.

Independent. Local. Committed.
Always first with the news.