KMPT (930 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve East Missoula, Montana. The station is owned by Townsquare Media. It airs a talk radioformat.[2] Currently branded as "930 AM KMPT," the station operates as a conservative talk leader in Missoula, featuring syndicated programming from networks such as Salem and Premiere. The station serves as a local affiliate for the Bobcat Radio Sports Network, providing live coverage of Montana State University athletics to listeners in Western Montana.[3]
The station first signed on the air on June 27, 1959, under the original call letters KYSS. [4] It was established by Treasure State Broadcasting, which had previously secured the construction permit for the station under the temporary designation KDOO in 1958. [5] During its early decades, the station was a pioneer in local music broadcasting, launching its FM counterpart (KYSS-FM) in 1969 to expand its reach in the Missoula market. [6]
KYSS-FM was started by the station in 1969. In 1984, the station rebranded as KLCY, adopting a nostalgia and adult standards format that it maintained for over two decades. [7] In late 2007, Gap Broadcasting II LLC, led by Erik Hellum, reached an agreement to acquire the station from Clear Channel Communications as part of a 57-station transaction valued at $74.78 million. [8] Following this acquisition, the station officially transitioned to its current KMPT call letters on January 1, 2008. [9]
Former logo before 99.7 translator sign on
Ownership
In October 2007, a deal was reached for the station (then known as KLCY) to be acquired by GAP Broadcasting II LLC (Erik Hellum, president) from Clear Channel Communications as part of a 57 station deal with a total reported sale price of $74.78 million.[10] What eventually became GapWest Broadcasting was folded into Townsquare Media on August 13, 2010.[11] The merger, finalized on August 13, 2010, was technically a "roll-up" of three separate entities—Townsquare Media, GAP Radio Broadcasting, and GAP West Broadcasting—all of which were already majority-owned by the private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management.[12] This consolidation expanded Townsquare's reach to 171 radio stations across 36 markets, making it the fourth-largest radio owner in the United States at the time. [13]
The Missoula radio market saw further disruption on June 17, 2022, when Townsquare Media acquired Cherry Creek Media for $18.75 million. [14] To comply with FCC ownership caps following this massive addition, Townsquare was required to divest several stations, including KMPT’s sister station KENR-FM, to Anderson Broadcasting and other local non-profits. [15]
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