Continental Television Network ownership
In 1984, KRTV (channel 3), which had served as an affiliate of NBC and CBS since 1968,[1] reduced its carriage of NBC programs as the Montana Television Network, of which it was a part, adopted primary CBS affiliation statewide.[2] KRTV and ABC affiliate KFBB-TV (channel 5) continued to air some NBC programs in the city.[3] However, in the wake of the affiliation change, Joe Colla saw an opening for a full-time NBC affiliate in the city. The NBC network expressed interest but instructed him to apply for a station first.
In April 1985, Colla's firm, Video International Publishers, applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a construction permit to build a new television station on channel 16 in Great Falls.[4] The FCC granted approval on July 25, 1985, and in February 1986, the Montana Economic Development Board granted the firm—now known as Continental Television Network—a $1.1 million loan to finance construction.[5] The two minority owners in Continental Television Network each had a background in local business: Al Donohue, owner of the Heritage Inn, and William Cordingley, former publisher of the Great Falls Tribune newspaper.[6]
After delays caused by rain, KTGF began broadcasting on September 21, 1986. The studios were in a former machine shop at 118 6th Street South, which was shared with Colla's video production business.[7] KTGF began airing early and late evening local newscasts in late October, with most of the news staff being new to the market.[8] Over the succeeding years, KTGF expanded its reach by investing in additional translators and a microwave joint venture with cable company TCI; while the station benefited from the national lead held by NBC at the time, its newscasts remained in third place, with the early evening newscast being especially distant from catching KRTV and KFBB, then competing vigorously for ratings leadership in Great Falls.[9] The newscasts continued until staffing issues led to their ultimate demise. Weekend newscasts were canceled in August 1992, when the weekend news anchor left to take a job in Fort Smith, Arkansas,[10] and the last weeknight newscast aired on March 5, 1993, by which time there were just four staffers left producing KTGF's news programming.[11]
In the 1990s, Continental also expanded its third station franchise with a pair of ABC affiliates. In Missoula, KTMF began broadcasting in November 1990.[12] Six years later, Continental started KWYB, broadcasting to Butte and Bozeman.[13][14] Continental's stations served as secondary affiliates of Fox beginning in 1994, though Fox's NFL games aired on KFBB-TV.[15]
Continental Television Network accepted an $18 million offer for its three Montana television stations from Max Media in December 2000.[16] The deal marked Max's return to the television business, having previously sold its portfolio of broadcast properties to Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1998.[17] Max hired Jack May, longtime KFBB-TV general manager, and promised technical improvements including an interconnection of the Great Falls, Missoula, and Butte stations, which were fed from facilities in Missoula.[18] However, these upgrades were marred by technical difficulties. Viewers of the 2002 Winter Olympics, aired by NBC, in Great Falls experienced difficulties in transmission with the new system in Missoula.[19] Signal issues persisted as late as May.[20]
Destiny Communications ownership and affiliation instability
Max Media announced on September 30, 2003, that it had agreed to purchase Great Falls ABC affiliate KFBB-TV and KULR-TV in Billings from the Wooster Republican Printing Company, which decided to exit the television business.[24] To acquire KFBB, Max was required to put KTGF on the market and agreed in September 2004 to sell the station to Destiny Communications of Wichita, Kansas.[25] Destiny was owned by Darnell Washington, a 20-year veteran of television stations in other parts of the United States; Max Media and private investors provided funding for the transaction. It was Washington's first television property, which he purchased despite having never visited Montana; KTGF became Montana's only Black-owned TV station, in a city where just 1.4 percent of the population was Black.[26] With the Big Sky News program moving to KFBB, Destiny announced plans to build out a full news department for KTGF for the first time in twelve years.[27]
RGW Investments and Lonnquist ownership
KTGF's license was formally transferred to RGW Investments on September 27, 2010.[41] In December 2011, RGW Investments entered into an agreement to sell KTGF to KTGF License Corporation, a company owned by veteran radio and TV broadcaster Roger Lonnquist. The sale closed on March 7, 2012. Soon afterward, the station returned to the air, again as a JCTV affiliate. In September 2013, MeTV announced that KTGF would begin to carry its programming;[42] as of 2014, MeTV programming is carried on its primary channel,[43] with JUCE TV (the former JCTV) being moved to a second subchannel. The station changed its call letters to KJJC on July 1, 2018; the "-TV" suffix was added on May 9, 2019.[44]
