Montana PBS
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World | |
Affiliations | PBS |
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Ownership | |
Owner | |
History | |
First air date | October 1, 1984 |
Links | |
Website | www |
Montana PBS is the
The network comprises six stations — flagship KUSM-TV (channel 9) in Bozeman and full-power satellites KUFM-TV (channel 11) in Missoula, KBGS-TV (channel 16) in Billings, KUHM-TV (channel 10) in Helena, KUGF-TV (channel 21) in Great Falls and KUKL-TV (channel 46) in Kalispell — and a network of 60 low-power repeaters in Montana. KUSM and KUHM are licensed to MSU, KUFM to UM, and KBGS, KUGF and KUKL to The Board of Regents of the Montana University System.
History
In 1983, several
The
In 1987, KUSM became a full member of PBS. In 1988, KUSM was added to
Early on, UM partnered with MSU to extend KUSM's reach to western Montana. By 1991, KUSM began branding as Montana Public Television, reflecting its new statewide reach.[1]
UM had won a construction permit for KUFM-TV in 1992. The station signed on for the first time in 1996, and the two stations began broadcasting as a network on New Year's Day 1997. In 1999, the network rebranded as Montana PBS.
Montana PBS's third full-powered station, KBGS-TV in Billings, signed on in late 2009. The fourth full-powered satellite, KUGF in Great Falls, signed on in fall 2010. KUKL-TV in Kalispell followed in 2011.
The network has expanded rather slowly, relying on cable and satellite coverage for most of its viewership. This didn't pose as much of a problem as it may seem at first glance due to a partnership with the state's cable systems. Even in the digital era, cable and satellite are all but essential for acceptable television in most of Montana.
On July 1, 2015,
Programming
Most of the local programs such as Backroads of Montana, 11th and Grant, and Montana Ag Live, as well as Montana historical documentaries and current event programs, are created by independent producers for Montana PBS. Due to a strong program for journalism and radio/television at UM and for documentary filmmaking at MSU, many of the network's local programs are produced by students.
Some of the Montana-made programming is also available online.
Stations
The six full-service television licenses comprising Montana PBS include:
Station | City of license[a] | Facility ID | ERP | HAAT | Transmitter coordinates | First air date | Public license information | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KBGS-TV | Billings | 16 (16) | 169030 | 29.8 kW | 167.1 m (548 ft) | 45°46′9.2″N 108°27′26.3″W / 45.769222°N 108.457306°W | June 24, 2009 | |
KUFM-TV | Missoula | 11 (11) | 66611 | 12.3 kW | 633.8 m (2,079 ft) | 46°48′9″N 113°58′21″W / 46.80250°N 113.97250°W | 1996 | |
KUGF-TV | Great Falls | 21 (21) | 169028 | 23.4 kW | 152.7 m (501 ft) | 47°32′9.2″N 111°17′2.1″W / 47.535889°N 111.283917°W | February 9, 2010[b] | |
KUHM-TV | Helena | 10 (29) | 68717 | 43.4 kW | 697 m (2,287 ft) | 46°49′29.6″N 111°42′12.6″W / 46.824889°N 111.703500°W | August 15, 1998[c] | |
KUKL-TV | Kalispell | 46 (15) | 169027 | 23.4 kW | 830 m (2,723 ft) | 48°0′48.2″N 114°21′54.5″W / 48.013389°N 114.365139°W | October 5, 2011 | |
KUSM-TV | Bozeman | 9 (8) | 43567 | 17.9 kW |
271 m (889 ft) | 45°40′24″N 110°52′2″W / 45.67333°N 110.86722°W | October 1, 1984[d] |
Notes:
- ^ Aside from the transmitters, the network's stations (except KUSM-TV and KUFM-TV) do not maintain any physical presence in their cities of license.
- ^ KUGF added the -TV suffix to its callsign on October 5, 2016.
- ^ Joined Montana PBS on September 1, 2015. KUHM-TV used the callsign KAQR during its construction permit from September 16, 1996, to October 1, 1997, KBCC during its construction permit from October 1, 1997, to March 27, 1998, and KMTF from March 27, 1998, to September 1, 2015.
- ^ KUSM added the -TV suffix to its callsign on July 16, 2009.
Translators
Montana PBS is additionally rebroadcast over a network of nine low-power digital translator stations, operating one of the largest translator networks in the state of Montana. MSU acquired the West Glacier transmitter from Canyon TV in 2014 for the nominal purchase price of one dollar. In 2018, it acquired the five translators led by KSKC-CD (now K27MS-D), the public television station of Salish Kootenai College, and incorporated them into the network.[3][4] Not owned by the network are additional translators run by TV districts.
The following translators rebroadcast KBGS-TV:[5]
The following translators rebroadcast KUFM-TV:[6]
- Arlee: K17NE-D
- Drummond: K22MI-D
- Ferndale: K33OH-D
- Heron: K13ZN-D
- Hot Springs: K29ND-D
- Pablo/Ronan: KSKC-CD
- Philipsburg: K15KW-D
- Plains: K08OY-D
- Plains: K21CA-D
- Plains: K34PQ-D
- St. Ignatius: K33OR-D
- Thompson Falls: K23NP-D
- Townsend: K11WM-D
The following translators rebroadcast KUGF-TV:[7]
The following translators rebroadcast KUKL-TV:[8]
- Kalispell: KEXI-LD
- West Glacier: K12LU-D
The following translators rebroadcast KUSM-TV:[9]
- Belgrade, etc.: K17KB-D
- Boulder: K27CD-D
- Boulder: K36CX-D
- Butte: K24MP-D
- Chinook: K22LD-D
- Circle, etc.: K18CR-D
- Conrad: K16KB-D
- Ekalaka: K23DJ-D
- Emigrant: K27LO-D
- Fort Peck: K36OC-D
- Helena: K33OP-D
- Joplin: K35OF-D
- Livingston: K48NS-D
- Plevna: K34DP-D
Network map
Technical information
Subchannels
The digital signals of Montana PBS' stations are
Channel | Res. | Aspect | Short name | Programming |
---|---|---|---|---|
xx.1 | 1080i | 16:9 |
[callsign]-HD | Main programming / PBS |
xx.2 | 480i | [callsign]-K | PBS Kids | |
xx.3 | [callsign]-C | Create | ||
xx.4 | [callsign]-W | World
| ||
xx.5 | [callsign]-L | MPAN simulcast |
Analog-to-digital conversion
Montana PBS' stations shut down their analog signals on June 12, 2009, the official date on which full-power television station's in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. The station's digital channel allocations post-transition are as follows:[10]
- KUSM-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 9; the station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 8. Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former VHF analog channel 9.
- KUFM-TV shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 11; the station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHFchannel 27 to VHF channel 11.
Satellite
Montana PBS is available
References
- ^ a b c d Montana PBS historical timeline
- ^ "Gray In 4 New Deals, Closes 3 Earlier Ones". TVNewsCheck. NewsCheck Media. July 1, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
- ^ Jacobson, Adam (May 11, 2018). "Five TV Translators Captured By College". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ Currence, Wesley (November 15, 2018). "MontanaPBS Restores Service on Flathead Indian Reservation". MontanaPBS. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "RabbitEars TV Query for KBGS". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "RabbitEars TV Query for KUFM". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "RabbitEars TV Query for KUGF". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "RabbitEars TV Query for KUKL". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ^ a b "RabbitEars TV Query for KUSM". www.rabbitears.info. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
- ^ "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2013. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ^ "AMC21 free-to-air satellite feeds, LyngSat". Retrieved May 29, 2018.