KBWG
Radio station in Montana, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KBWG (89.7 MHz), known as Thunder Radio, is a radio station in Browning, Montana, United States, owned by the Blackfeet Tribe.
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Frequency | 89.7 MHz |
Branding | Thunder Radio |
Programming | |
Format | Variety |
Ownership | |
Owner | Blackfeet Tribe |
History | |
First air date | November 20, 2010 |
Former call signs | KBWG-LP (2010–2024) |
Former frequencies | 107.5 MHz (2010–2024) |
Call sign meaning | "Browning" |
Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 763408 |
Class | A |
Power | 1,250 watts |
HAAT | 127 meters (417 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 48°42′22.7″N 113°6′1.2″W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Website | KBWG on Facebook |
The station began as KBWG-LP 107.5, a low-power FM radio station, in 2004. It was owned by the town of Browning and initially broadcast emergency and weather information before the town received a grant in 2006 to upgrade the facility. It then began broadcasting classic country music.[2] In 2010 and 2011, the station began broadcasting with live DJs and local news and sports programming, adopting the name Thunder Radio.[3][4] By 2015, the station had more than two dozen volunteers.[5]
The station temporarily shut down on January 14, 2016, amid the closure of City Hall and a dispute between the town of Browning and the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council and discussions of a possible municipal bankruptcy filing for Browning.[6] By March 2017, the town was in receivership, and Glacier County was evaluating spinning Thunder Radio off to a community board.[7] The Blackfeet Tribe was owed $2.6 million by the town of Browning, and as part of a court-ordered settlement agreement in which the tribe acquired most of the town's assets, KBWG-LP was included.[8][9]
The Blackfeet Tribe obtained a full-power license and replaced KBWG-LP with KBWG on 89.7 MHz in 2024. The tribe also holds the licenses for four other full-power stations on the reservation: KIYO 88.1 in St. Mary, KWRR 90.3 in Heart Butte, KIPP in East Glacier Park Village, and KEOP in Little Browning.
References
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