Montana PBS

Montana PBS is the PBS member public television network for the state of Montana. It is a joint service of Montana State University and the University of Montana: KUSM-TV in Bozeman is licensed to Montana State University and KUFM-TV in Missoula to the University of Montana. The network is headquartered in the Visual Communications Building on the MSU campus in Bozeman, with a second studio in the Performing Arts and Radio/TV Center on the UM campus in Missoula.

MSU put KUSM-TV on the air on October 1, 1984, at first rebroadcasting KUED in Salt Lake City, and Montana became the last state with its own PBS station. KUSM replaced KUED on Montana cable systems between 1988 and 1991, and the University of Montana joined the service with KUFM-TV in October 1996. Today Montana PBS broadcasts from eight full-power stations in Billings, Bozeman, Glendive, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Miles City and Missoula, plus a network of translators and the Galaxy 16 satellite, and reaches more than 400 communities over the air, on cable, on Dish and on DirecTV.

Local productions include the music series 11th and Grant, made at MSU in Bozeman; the travel series Backroads of Montana, made at UM; the public affairs documentary series Montana PBS Reports; and the agriculture program Montana Ag Live, along with election coverage and the State of the State address. Montana PBS also runs education services such as the Media Mavericks media-making curriculum for classrooms, PBS LearningMedia and early learning outreach, and offers production services. Under contract with the Montana Legislative Services Division it operates the Montana Public Affairs Network (MPAN), which carries gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Montana Legislature and other state government proceedings from the State Capitol in Helena. The network is funded by donations through Friends of Montana PBS, university support and contract production.

Montana PBS staff work at Montana State University in Bozeman, the University of Montana in Missoula and MPAN in Helena, and are hired through the two universities' employment systems. Recent hires include a long-form multimedia journalist, a production services producer and a promotions video producer. Beyond full-time staff, the network offers part-time, work-study and internship positions, including student jobs in broadcast operations and in the production of MSU sports. Its sister radio service at the University of Montana is Montana Public Radio.