KMTF

KMTF is a television station in Helena, Montana, broadcasting locally on digital channel 29 (virtual channel 10) as an affiliate of The CW. KMTF is owned by The Uhlmann Company, under the license name Rocky Mountain Broadcasting Company, and managed by Intermountain West Communications Company, who also owns KTVH. The owner of KMTF is a company owned by a group of people that includes the daughter of Sunbelt Communications Company's owner and founder. The arrangement is set up in such a way so as to circumvent FCC rules regarding ownership of competing stations by the same entity. KMTF and KTVH are housed in the same building in Helena, MT, and share several resources, including engineering and production staff. Currently, KMTF rebroadcasts the CW satellite feed with minimal local branding, a practice common in low-population areas. A single person maintains the legally required presence of a general manager, but their job consists primarily of creating the locally branded content inserted over the satellite signal.

History

The station was original licensed on September 16, 1996 as KAQR, an independent station, but in 1997, the station changed its call letters to KBCC. In 1998, the station changed its call letters again to KMTF and started broadcasting in August of that year as the local Fox affiliate. In 2001, due to low ratings, the station dropped the Fox affiliation and became an affiliate of Pax TV. After their affiliation agreement with Pax TV expired in 2005, they became an affiliate of The WB, as part of The WB 100+ Station Group. In September 2006, KMTF became the affiliate for The CW Television Network and become part of The CW Plus, the successor of The WB 100+ Station Group.

External links

• Helena's CW Official Site
• Query the FCC's TV station database for KMTF
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on KMTF-TV