KTMF

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = KTMF
city =
station_
station_slogan =
station_branding = ABC 23
ABC 42
analog = 23 (UHF)
digital = 36 (UHF)
other_chs = KTMF-LP 42 Kalispell
K19GD Kalispell
K14LT Polson
K11KE Woods Bay
affiliations = ABC
network =
founded =
airdate = November 16, 1990
location = Missoula, Montana
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Max Media, LLC
licensee = MMM License, LLC
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 1820 kW (analog)
5.1 kW (digital)
HAAT = 642 m (analog)
618 m (digital)
class =
facility_id = 14675
coordinates = coord|47|1|7.1|N|114|0|50.2|W|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.ktmf.com/ www.ktmf.com]

KTMF is a full-service television station in Missoula, Montana, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 23 and in digital on UHF channel 36 as an affiliate of ABC. Founded April 12, 1989, the station is owned by Max Media of Montana. The station's signal is rebroadcast on station KTMF-LP channel 42 in Kalispell and on three other low-power translator stations in the Flathead Lake area of northwestern Montana.

History

On April 12, 1989, the FCC granted an original construction permit to Continental Television Network (CTN) for a full-service station on channel 23 to serve Missoula. The station, at first known by its application identification number, 881130KG, soon took the call letters KLFV, but before the station went on air, had changed calls again, this time to KTMF. The station was issued a license on February 28, 1991.

In February 2001, CTN sold KTMF, along with KTMF-LP in Kalispell, KWYB in Butte, KWYB-LP in Bozeman and KTGF in Great Falls, to Max Media of Montana. They were the first television station acquisitions in Montana for Max Media.

CTN aired no news on its stations, but soon after Max Media acquired the stations, they began to make plans for a regional newscast for KTMF and its other stations, to debut in early 2002. [http://www.montana.edu/wwwbor/KTMFToAirLocalNewsShowInMissoula.htm] They launched the newscast, produced by Independent News Network of Davenport, Iowa and branded "Big Sky News", in October 2002, [http://www.maxmontana.com] ] but the newscast generated controversy, in part because it tried to simultaneously serve the needs of five communities over 200 miles (322 km) apart, and in part because the newscast did not actually originate in Montana, but rather, in a city approximately 1,175 miles (1,900 km) away, with only one reporter actually assigned to and located in Missoula.

Max Media launched another attempt at a regional newscast for KTMF and its other stations in February 2005, this time branded "Montana News Network" but this time it was produced out of KFBB in Great Falls.

KTMF-LP history

On January 6, 1992, the FCC granted an original construction permit to CTN for a low-power station on channel 59 to serve Kalispell. The station was given callsign K59EQ and after an expired construction permit and a couple of extensions of the new permit, K59EQ was licesnsed on July 11, 1995. The station changed its calls to KTMF-LP later in the same year.

In February 2001, CTN sold the station to Max Media of Montana as part of the same transaction as KTMF and participated in the same newscasts as KTMF.

KTMF-LP was granted a permit to move to channel 42 in October 2003 and as of August 2006, the station had completed the move, but had not applied for a license to operate on the new channel.

Digital television

On September 26, 2001, the FCC granted a construction permit to build KTMF-DT on UHF channel 36. The station received Special Temporary Authority (STA) on April 22, 2001 to broadcast at reduced power. As of mid-August 2006, the station has not completed its final digital facilities and continues to broadcast per the STA. KTMF has elected to remain on channel 23 once the transition to digital television is completed.

Programming

As an ABC affiliate, KTMF airs most of the network schedule. ABC's 6:30 PM network newscast, World News with Charles Gibson, airs at 4:30 PM on KTMF (Montana is in the Mountain Time Zone, two hours behind the East Coast.) KTMF airs Nightline one-half hour after the 10 PM local evening news ends and fills the overnight schedule with World News Now and America This Morning.

KTMF broadcasts very little local news. The Montana News Network regional newscast no longer airs on KTMF, so there is no early evening local newscast. The late local news, called "10@10", is a 10-minute newscast summarizing weather and sports.

Translators

KTMF can be seen in other parts of western Montana on the following translator stations:
*KTMF-LP 42 Kalispell
*K19GD Kalispell
*K14LT Polson
*K11KE Woods Bay

External links

* [http://www.ktmf.com/ Official site]
*TVQ|KTMF
*TVQ|K11KE
*TVQ|K14LT
*TVQ|K19GD
*BIA|KTMF|TV|TV