Yellowstone Public Radio

Yellowstone Public Radio is a regional radio network based in Billings, Montana with transmitters covering most of Montana, as well as northern Wyoming and eastern Idaho. It is operated by Montana [State University Billings]. It airs a mix of programming from National Public Radio, classical music, and jazz.

History

The network's first station, KEMC in Billings, signed on in 1972 as a 10-watt station owned by what was then Eastern Montana College. It boosted its power to 24,500 watts in 1978. It gradually transitioned from a college radio station to a more professional operation. This culminated in 1984, when it hired a professional station manager and joined National Public Radio, becoming the state's second NPR member. Over the next decade, it boosted its signal to 100,000 watts, and built a network of translators and repeaters across Montana, and now has one of the largest geographical coverage areas in the entire NPR system. Shortly after EMC merged with the Montana State University System, KEMC rebranded itself Yellowstone Public Radio, reflecting that its coverage area spanned across most of the area around Yellowstone National Park. In the same year, its home since 1983, a three-story house west of campus, was renamed the Joseph L. Sample Studios in honor of the Montana broadcasting pioneer.

Stations and translators

Yellowstone Public Radio is broadcast by twelve full-power stations. The network is also relayed by an additional 28 translators to widen its broadcast area.

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	State	Facility ID	ERP W	Height m	List of [North American broadcast station classes\|Class]	Transmitter coordinates
KYPB	89.3 FM	Big Timber	Montana		500		A
KEMC	91.7 FM	Billings	Montana		100,000		C1
KBMC	102.1 FM	Bozeman	Montana		20,500		C2
KYPC	89.9 FM	Colstrip	Montana		3,500		C2
KGLZ	89.1 FM	Helena, Montana\|East Helena]	Montana		140 vertical only		C3
KYPH	88.5 FM	Helena	Montana		5,200		C1
KYPX	106.5 FM	Helena Valley Southeast	Montana		1,800		C2
KYPM	89.9 FM	Livingston	Montana		1,900		C3
KYPR	90.7 FM	Miles City	Montana		500		A
KYPF	89.5 FM	Stanford/Lewistown	Montana		4,000		C1
KYPW	88.3 FM	Wolf Point	Montana		730		A
KPRQ	88.1 FM	Sheridan	Wyoming		450		A
KYPZ	96.1 FM	Fort Benton	Montana		100		C1

Notes:

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	State	Facility ID	Rebroadcasts
K206BN	89.1	Ashland	Montana		KYPR
K242DC	96.3	Big Sky	Montana		KBMC
K213AU	90.5	Big Timber	Montana		KEMC
K255CW	98.9	Billings	Montana		KEMC
K251CU	98.1	Bozeman	Montana		KBMC
K220FL	91.9	Broadus	Montana		KYPR
K261CC	100.1	Chester	Montana		KEMC
K203AF	88.5	Colstrip	Montana		KEMC
K203AI	88.5	Columbus	Montana		KEMC
K217FH	91.3	Conrad	Montana		KEMC
K205BZ	88.9	Cut Bank	Montana		KEMC
K216CH	91.1	Emigrant	Montana		KBMC
K216DC	91.1	Forsyth	Montana		KEMC
K220DN	91.9	Glasgow	Montana		KEMC
K203AS	88.5	Glendive	Montana		KEMC
K208DJ	89.5	Great Falls	Montana		KEMC
K219FF	91.7	Havre	Montana		KEMC
K203AE	88.5	Lewistown	Montana		KEMC
K204GR	88.7	Livingston	Montana		KBMC
K206BA	89.1	Red Lodge	Montana		KEMC
K212BC	90.3	Shelby	Montana		KEMC
K220DF	91.9	Terry	Montana		KEMC
K290CA	105.9	West Yellowstone	Montana		KBMC
K220DK	91.9	Buffalo	Wyoming		KEMC
K203AH	88.5	Cody	Wyoming		KEMC
K218ES	91.5	Greybull	Wyoming		KEMC
K285AF	104.9	Mammoth [Hot Springs, Wyoming\|Mammoth Hot Springs]	Wyoming		KEMC
K214EZ	90.7	Worland	Wyoming		KEMC