KBWG (FM)
 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 89.7 MHz |
| Branding | Thunder Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | Variety |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Blackfeet Tribe |
| History | |
First air date | November 20, 2010 |
Former call signs | KBWG-LP (2010–2024) |
Former frequencies | 107.5 MHz (2010–2024) |
Call sign meaning | "Browning" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 763408 |
| Class | A |
| Power | 1,250 watts |
| HAAT | 127 meters (417 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 48°42′22.7″N 113°6′1.2″W / 48.706306°N 113.100333°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | KBWG on Facebook |
KBWG (89.7 MHz), known as Thunder Radio, is a radio station in Browning, Montana, United States, owned by the Blackfeet Tribe.
The station began as KBWG-LP 107.5, a low-power FM radio station, in 2004. It was owned by the town of Browning and initially broadcast emergency and weather information before the town received a grant in 2006 to upgrade the facility. It then began broadcasting classic country music.[2] In 2010 and 2011, the station began broadcasting with live DJs and local news and sports programming, adopting the name Thunder Radio.[3][4] By 2015, the station had more than two dozen volunteers.[5]
The station temporarily shut down on January 14, 2016, amid the closure of City Hall and a dispute between the town of Browning and the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council and discussions of a possible municipal bankruptcy filing for Browning.[6] By March 2017, the town was in receivership, and Glacier County was evaluating spinning Thunder Radio off to a community board.[7] The Blackfeet Tribe was owed $2.6 million by the town of Browning, and as part of a court-ordered settlement agreement in which the tribe acquired most of the town's assets, KBWG-LP was included.[8][9]
The Blackfeet Tribe obtained a full-power license and replaced KBWG-LP with KBWG on 89.7 MHz in 2024. The tribe also holds the licenses for four other full-power stations on the reservation: KIYO 88.1 in St. Mary, KWRR 90.3 in Heart Butte, KIPP in East Glacier Park Village, and KEOP in Little Browning.
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KBWG". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ McGill, John (March 21, 2007). "Voice of Browning is now 107.5 FM". Glacier Reporter.
- ^ McGill, John (November 17, 2010). "Changes launched at Browning's radio station KBWG FM". Glacier Reporter.
- ^ McGill, John (January 19, 2011). "'Voice of Browning' radio station KBWG expanding". Glacier Reporter.
- ^ McGill, John (March 11, 2015). "KBWG-LP Thunder Radio seeking more DJs". Glacier Reporter.
- ^ McGill, John (January 20, 2016). "What's next? Bankruptcy or Disincorporating? Browning's City Hall closes its doors and radio station goes off the air". Glacier Reporter.
- ^ McGill, John (April 5, 2017). "Commissioners discuss creating board to operate Browning's Thunder Radio". Glacier Reporter.
- ^ Franz, Justin (September 20, 2017). "Browning to Sell Assets to Blackfeet Tribe as Town Dissolves". Flathead Beacon. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ Jacobson, Adam (February 19, 2018). "Blackfeet Tribe Gets An LPFM From A Local Town". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved February 15, 2025.