Montana Television Network

rdf:langString Montana Television Network

rdf:langString The Montana Television Network (MTN) is a statewide network of CBS affiliates in the U.S. state of Montana. It also includes one NBC station. All but one of these stations are owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. Five of the full-powered MTN stations—KTVQ, KXLF, KRTV, KPAX, and KTVH—carry programming from The CW Plus on their digital subchannels. In addition, MTN owns the Montana Ag Network, which provides farm and ranch reports on television. Established in 1969 in its current form by Montana broadcasting pioneer Joe Sample, MTN was originally conceived as a way to unify Montanans and connect the state's comparatively isolated population centers. Between 1971 and 1986, the MTN stations aired hybrid local/network newscasts that consisted of sections of statewide and local news; this approach was abandoned in favor of producing separate local newscasts in each city. All of the stations became exclusive CBS affiliates in 1984 and air the same syndicated programming. MTN operated under split ownership from 1986 to 1994, when the Billings station was reunited with the rest of the network. Expansions in local news in Kalispell and Bozeman, as well as a full entrance into the Helena market and later the purchase of its established commercial station, have grown the network over the last 20 years.