On October 15, 1975, Rex Jensen submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a construction permit to establish a new radio station operating on 93.3 MHz in Missoula, with its transmitter located on Big Sky Mountain.[2] The FCC granted the permit on May 25, 1976, dismissing concerns from several local broadcasters who argued that the new station could interfere with their operations.[3] While the station was intended to launch that fall, equipment delivery and bad weather in the eastern United States prompted the project to be shelved for the winter; KDXT made its debut on April 29, 1977. Having been transferred to the Jensen Broadcasting Company[2] (owned by Rex and his brother Jack), the station started with an automated rock/adult contemporary hybrid format.[4]
The Jensens sold the station in February 1979 to a joint venture with Robert E. Ingstad of North Dakota, who became the sole owner in 1980[2] before KDXT and sister station KGRZ (1450 AM) were sold to Wind Point 1970 Holding Company, which was owned by the S.C. Johnson Company, in 1982.[5] The two stations were then sold to Sunbrook Communications in 1986; during this time, the station dominated the Missoula radio market.[6]
KGGL
Sunbrook sold its radio properties—ten in Montana and a pair in Wenatchee, Washington—to Seattle-based Fisher Broadcasting in 1994, with Sunbrook becoming a division of Fisher after the sale was completed.[7] With the contemporary hit format long associated with KDXT in a national slump, Fisher opted to make a major change. It flipped KGGL to country, taking on established country outlet KYSS, in September 1995. This left Missoula without a station in the contemporary hit radio format.[6] The format change was a successful one: the fall 2005 Eastlan radio ratings for Missoula showed KGGL tied with public radio station KUFM and beating third-place KYSS.[8]
In a 24-station sale that was only partially completed, Fisher sold many of its small-market radio properties to Cherry Creek Radio in 2006 in order to fund an expansion into Spanish-language television in major Pacific Northwest markets. The 24 stations contributed just one-fourth of the radio division's revenue, with Fisher's three Seattle stations comprising the rest.[9]
Effective June 17, 2022, Cherry Creek Radio sold KGGL as part of a 42 station/21 translator package to Townsquare Media for $18.75 million.
^Struckman, Robert (January 10, 2006). "KUFM, KGGL winning radio wars". The Missoulian. pp. B1, B2. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
