- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Sidney Today
By the People, for the People
Montana PBS Expands Reach, Brings Free Public TV to Eastern Montana
Acquisition of 3 TV stations in Miles City, Glendive, and Sidney allows residents access to PBS programming for the first time.
Mar. 11, 2026 at 12:00am
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
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 (a translator relaying the KXGN signal) in Sidney. This will provide communities in that part of the state with free, over-the-air public television for the first time.
Why it matters
The acquisition of these stations by Montana PBS is significant as it expands access to educational, informative, and community-focused programming to rural areas of the state that previously lacked access to public television. This reinforces Montana PBS's mission of bringing free, high-quality programming to all Montanans.
The details
The purchase of the stations was made possible after the Marks Group, the previous owner, offered them to Montana PBS in 2023 following the death of owner Stephen Marks in 2022. Commercial broadcasters had passed on buying the stations due to the small market sizes, but Montana PBS recognized the value of providing public television to these underserved communities.
- In October 2025, Montana PBS finalized the purchase of the three stations.
- The PBS programming on the new stations went live in February 2026.
The players
Montana PBS
A public television broadcaster serving the state of Montana, part of the PBS network.
The Marks Group
The previous owner of the three TV stations in eastern Montana that were acquired by Montana PBS.
Stephen Marks
The late owner of The Marks Group who passed away in 2022.
Aaron Pruitt
The director of Montana PBS.
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.
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
“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
What’s next
To celebrate the new stations, Montana PBS is planning two days of events to be held in Miles City on April 24-25, 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 expansion of Montana PBS's reach to eastern Montana communities that previously lacked access to public television is a significant milestone, reinforcing the broadcaster's mission of providing free, high-quality educational and informative programming to all Montanans, regardless of their location.
