Montana PBS Expands Reach with Purchase of Eastern Montana TV Stations

New stations will bring free public television to underserved communities for the first time.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Montana PBS has finalized the purchase of three television stations in eastern Montana - KYUS-TV in Miles City, KXGN-TV in Glendive, and K13IG-D in Sidney. The acquisition will allow Montana PBS to deliver its five broadcast channels, including Montana-made and national PBS programming, to communities in that part of the state that previously lacked access to free, over-the-air public television.

Why it matters

The conversion of commercial public TV stations to a noncommercial educational license is extremely rare in the broadcasting industry. This move by Montana PBS ensures that rural communities in eastern Montana, which were previously underserved, will now have access to educational and informative public television programming.

The details

The purchase of the three stations was made possible by the Marks Group, the previous owner, who recognized the value of providing public television access to these communities after the death of the company's founder in 2022. Commercial broadcasters had passed on buying the stations due to the small market sizes, but Montana PBS saw an opportunity to fulfill its mission of bringing free, educational programs to all Montanans.

  • In October 2025, Montana PBS finalized the purchase of the three stations.
  • The new Montana PBS programming on the stations went live in February 2026.

The players

Montana PBS

A public television broadcaster serving the state of Montana, operated by the Montana University System.

The Marks Group

The previous owner of the three television stations in eastern Montana that were sold to Montana PBS.

Aaron Pruitt

The director of Montana PBS, who oversaw the acquisition of the new stations.

Dawson Community College

Played a key role in helping deliver the Montana PBS signal from the campus to the broadcast transmitter in Makoshika State Park near Glendive.

Kyle Sorenson

The director of marketing and communications at Montana PBS, who is planning events to welcome the new communities to the Montana PBS network.

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What they’re saying

“In this case, it was made possible by a willing seller who recognized the value of educational programs for extremely rural communities that have never received PBS.”

— Aaron Pruitt, Director, Montana PBS (northernplainsindependent.com)

“We're really looking forward to meeting as many people from Miles City and the surrounding region as possible. We want to welcome them to the Montana PBS neighborhood.”

— Kyle Sorenson, Director of Marketing and Communications, Montana PBS (northernplainsindependent.com)

What’s next

Montana PBS is planning two days of events to be held in Miles City on April 24 and 25 to celebrate the launch of the new stations, including a Clifford the Big Red Dog meetup, a PBS pint night, a 'coffee and conversation' meetup, and a special screening of a new Montana PBS documentary.

The takeaway

This acquisition by Montana PBS demonstrates the broadcaster's commitment to its mission of providing free, educational programming to all Montanans, even in the state's most rural and underserved communities. It's a rare example of a commercial public TV station being converted to a noncommercial educational license, ensuring these eastern Montana residents will now have access to the full range of PBS content.