KGGL

On October 15, 1975, Rex Jensen submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a construction permit to establish a new radio station operating on 93.3 MHz in Missoula, with its transmitter located on Big Sky Mountain.^[2] The FCC granted the permit on May 25, 1976, dismissing concerns from several local broadcasters who argued that the new station could interfere with their operations.^[3] While the station was intended to launch that fall, equipment delivery and bad weather in the eastern United States prompted the project to be shelved for the winter; KDXT made its debut on April 29, 1977. Having been transferred to the Jensen Broadcasting Company^[2] (owned by Rex and his brother Jack), the station started with an automated rock/adult contemporary hybrid format.^[4]

The Jensens sold the station in February 1979 to a joint venture with Robert E. Ingstad of North Dakota, who became the sole owner in 1980^[2] before KDXT and sister station KGRZ (1450 AM) were sold to Wind Point 1970 Holding Company, which was owned by the S.C. Johnson Company, in 1982.^[5] The two stations were then sold to Sunbrook Communications in 1986; during this time, the station dominated the Missoula radio market.^[6]

Sunbrook sold its radio properties—ten in Montana and a pair in Wenatchee, Washington—to Seattle-based Fisher Broadcasting in 1994, with Sunbrook becoming a division of Fisher after the sale was completed.^[7] With the contemporary hit format long associated with KDXT in a national slump, Fisher opted to make a major change. It flipped KGGL to country, taking on established country outlet KYSS, in September 1995. This left Missoula without a station in the contemporary hit radio format.^[6] The format change was a successful one: the fall 2005 Eastlan radio ratings for Missoula showed KGGL tied with public radio station KUFM and beating third-place KYSS.^[8]

In a 24-station sale that was only partially completed, Fisher sold many of its small-market radio properties to Cherry Creek Radio in 2006 in order to fund an expansion into Spanish-language television in major Pacific Northwest markets. The 24 stations contributed just one-fourth of the radio division's revenue, with Fisher's three Seattle stations comprising the rest.^[9]

Effective June 17, 2022, Cherry Creek Radio sold KGGL as part of a 42 station/21 translator package to Townsquare Media for $18.75 million.