Montana Television Network

The Montana Television Network is a network of CBS affiliates in Montana, and one NBC station, all but one are owned by Cordillera Communications, a division of Evening Post Industries.

MTN's earliest roots came in 1955, when Montana broadcasting pioneer Joseph S. "Joe" Sample, owner of KOOK-TV (now KTVQ) in Billings, began sharing programs with KXLF-TV in Butte (KXLF had signed on three months before KOOK in 1953). KFBB-TV in Great Falls and KMSO-TV in Missoula (now KECI-TV) began sharing programs with KOOK and KXLF in 1958, and KXLJ-TV in Helena (now KTVH) signed on as a satellite of KXLF in 1958. The five stations joined with two Idaho stations, KID-TV in Idaho Falls (now KIDK) and KMVT in Twin Falls, to form the Skyline Network.

KXLJ left the network in 1960, leaving the network without a node in the capital. KMSO-TV left the network in 1964, and the network was without a Missoula outlet as well. In 1966, KFBB left the network, and Sample bought Great Falls' other station, KRTV.

The Skyline Network stations were originally NBC affiliates, but added CBS as a secondary affiliation soon after it launched. By 1960, the network had switched its stations to CBS primary and NBC secondary. By 1969, however, affiliation changes made the network unworkable, and it shut down in September. In October, Sample reorganized the network as the Montana Television Network, comprising his three Montana stations (he'd bought KXLF in 1960). He added KPAX-TV in Missoula as a semi-satellite of KXLF.

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