KTVH
Encyclopedia
KTVH-DT is a full-service television station serving Helena, Montana
and the surrounding area as an NBC
affiliate, broadcasting on digital
channel 12. The station ceased its analog broadcasts on November 10, 2008. The station is owned by Beartooth Communications Company, a subsidiary of Intermountain West Communications Company
of Las Vegas, Nevada
. It is the flagship station for Beartooth NBC, a network of NBC affiliates in central and western Montana.
KTVH is relayed by KBGF-LP channel 50 (Bresnan
cable 6) in Great Falls
.
affiliate. The station originally had the call letters KXLJ and was a semi-satellite of KXLF Butte
. In December 1962, Bob Magnus and two partners bought the station, weaned it from KXLF, and changed the call letters to KBLL-TV. In 1969, former Montana Governor Tim M. Babcock
bought the station and changed the station's call letters to KTCM (Television for the Capitol of Montana). In 1976, KTCM built a new tower and expanded its coverage to include Missoula, Butte, and Great Falls; indeed it became effectively the default NBC affiliate for quite a large part of Montana and remained so until 1986. Babcock sold the station to Lynn Koch in 1979, and the station changed call letters again, this time to KTVG. A few years later, Koch sold the station to Don Bradley, who again changed the call letters to KTVH (TeleVision for Helena), which remain to this day. By 1988, the station was in financial trouble and Bradley sold it to John Raddeck and Big Sky Broadcasting Limited Partnership. Big Sky Broadcasting restored the station's financial health and in 1997, sold KTVH to Beartooth Communications Company, a subsidiary of Sunbelt Communications Company based in Las Vegas, NV.
in northern Montana became repeaters for KBAO. KBAO went silent in 2008. On July 9, 2009, Sunbelt requested that the license for KBAO be cancelled.
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
and the surrounding area as an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate, broadcasting on digital
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
channel 12. The station ceased its analog broadcasts on November 10, 2008. The station is owned by Beartooth Communications Company, a subsidiary of Intermountain West Communications Company
Intermountain West Communications Company
Intermountain West Communications Company, formerly known as Sunbelt Communications Company, is the owner and operator of television stations in 11 media markets located in the western United States....
of Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. It is the flagship station for Beartooth NBC, a network of NBC affiliates in central and western Montana.
KTVH is relayed by KBGF-LP channel 50 (Bresnan
Bresnan Communications
Optimum West is a division of Cablevision that operates in the Rocky Mountain area, servicing Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. It offers digital cable, high speed internet, and digital voice services to over 300,000 subscribers....
cable 6) in Great Falls
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
.
- 1: Separate digital channel allotments were not assigned. See "Digital television" paragraph below.
KTVH
KTVH was the first television station in Helena, Montana, signing on the air on January 1, 1958 as an NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate. The station originally had the call letters KXLJ and was a semi-satellite of KXLF Butte
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
. In December 1962, Bob Magnus and two partners bought the station, weaned it from KXLF, and changed the call letters to KBLL-TV. In 1969, former Montana Governor Tim M. Babcock
Tim M. Babcock
Tim Milford Babcock was the 16th Governor of the U.S. state of Montana. He was born in Littlefork, Minnesota.Babcock served in the Montana legislature prior to being elected lieutenant governor in 1960. He became governor in 1962 upon the death of Governor Donald Nutter. Babcock served until 1969,...
bought the station and changed the station's call letters to KTCM (Television for the Capitol of Montana). In 1976, KTCM built a new tower and expanded its coverage to include Missoula, Butte, and Great Falls; indeed it became effectively the default NBC affiliate for quite a large part of Montana and remained so until 1986. Babcock sold the station to Lynn Koch in 1979, and the station changed call letters again, this time to KTVG. A few years later, Koch sold the station to Don Bradley, who again changed the call letters to KTVH (TeleVision for Helena), which remain to this day. By 1988, the station was in financial trouble and Bradley sold it to John Raddeck and Big Sky Broadcasting Limited Partnership. Big Sky Broadcasting restored the station's financial health and in 1997, sold KTVH to Beartooth Communications Company, a subsidiary of Sunbelt Communications Company based in Las Vegas, NV.
KBGF-LP
An original construction permit was granted on November 16, 2004 to Charles C. Townsend, III of Aloha Partners, to build a low-power television station serving Great Falls, Montana. The station being constructed on channel 50 was given call letters K50IQ. In April 2005, Townsend sold the permit to Beartooth Communications, who immediately changed the call letters to KBGF-LP. The station was licensed on December 5, 2005 and is a translator for Helena station KTVH. The station brands as KBGF 50. The station had its own office in Great Falls, but it has since closed.KBBJ
On December 8, 1997, Sunbelt Communications Company obtained an original construction permit to build a full-service television station in Havre, Montana. KBBJ channel 9 became the first television station for Havre and north central Montana on December 5, 2001 when it was licensed as a satellite of Helena NBC affiliate KTVH. Sunbelt assigned the station's license to subsidiary Beartooth Communication Company in 2005. KBBJ went silent in 2008. On July 8, 2009, Sunbelt requested that the license for KBBJ be cancelled.KBAO
Beartooth Communications Company was granted an original construction permit on December 12, 1997 to build a full-service television station to serve Lewistown and surrounding areas in central Montana. On July 18, 2001, KBAO channel 13 was licensed as a satellite of Helena NBC affiliate KTVH, and as Lewistown's first television station. The station expanded its reach when the four translator television stations serving Phillips CountyPhillips County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge* Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge * Hewitt Lake National Wildlife Refuge* UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge* Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument -Demographics:...
in northern Montana became repeaters for KBAO. KBAO went silent in 2008. On July 9, 2009, Sunbelt requested that the license for KBAO be cancelled.
Translators
The following stations were rebroadcasting the signal of KBAO prior to going silent:- K15AS Malta, MontanaMalta, MontanaMalta is a city in and the county seat of Phillips County, Montana, United States, located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 2 and 191. The population was 2,120 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- K20BP Phillips County, MontanaPhillips County, Montana-National protected areas:* Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge* Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge * Hewitt Lake National Wildlife Refuge* UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge* Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument -Demographics:...
- K34DN Whitewater, Montana
- K36CW Dodson, MontanaDodson, MontanaDodson is a town in Phillips County, Montana, United States. The population was 122 at the 2000 census.-History:Dodson was named after a merchant who operated a trading post and saloon there before the Great Northern Railway came through...
News operation
The station runs a news operation out of KTVH. The Newscasts are weekdays at 6 and 10 PM. Unlike most NBC Affiliates; KTVH does not run morning or weekend newscasts.Personalities
- Melissa Jensen - 6 & 10PM Anchor
- Ellen Bacca - Weather
- Al Marks - Sports Director/Sports Anchor
- Josh Egbert - Reporter/Anchor
- Ryan WhalenRyan WhalenRyan Whalen is an American football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bengals in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford....
- Reporter/Anchor - Kristin Price - Reporter/Anchor/Assignment Editor
- Jess Armstrong - Assignment Editor/Reporter