KJJC-TV
A Great Falls, Montana television station affiliated with MeTV and owned by Northwest Capital Corporation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KJJC-TV is a television station serving Great Falls, Montana, and nearby communities. The station broadcasts on channel 16 and operates as a MeTV affiliate, with additional programming carried on its digital subchannels. Its transmitter is located on 47th Avenue SW in unincorporated Cascade County, near Great Falls International Airport. Station operations are based at a facility on Colonial Drive in Helena, while the station is also rebroadcast in Helena through commonly owned translator K07AAR-D. Its programming has additionally been distributed by KINV-LD in Billings. The station began broadcasting on September 21, 1986, under the call sign KTGF. It was established after changes in Montana's network-affiliation structure created an opening for a full-time NBC station in Great Falls. Joe Colla's Video International Publishers applied to construct the station in 1985, received Federal Communications Commission approval, and subsequently operated under the name Continental Television Network. The new station became the third commercial television outlet in Great Falls and initially affiliated with NBC. KTGF experimented with local news shortly after launch. It began producing early- and late-evening newscasts in October 1986, using a staff that was largely new to the local market. The station later expanded its signal through translators and a microwave distribution arrangement with cable operator TCI. Despite NBC's strong national position at the time, KTGF's local newscasts remained behind those of KRTV and KFBB-TV in audience performance. Weekend news ended in 1992, and the remaining weeknight newscast ended in March 1993 as staffing levels declined. Continental expanded beyond Great Falls by launching ABC affiliates in Missoula and the Butte–Bozeman area. In December 2000, it agreed to sell its three Montana stations, including KTGF, to Max Media for $18 million. Max introduced technical and programming changes, including a shared Montana news operation, but the group also experienced transmission problems after interconnecting the stations. Max later sought to acquire Great Falls ABC affiliate KFBB-TV. Because of ownership restrictions associated with that transaction, KTGF was sold to Destiny Communications in 2004. Destiny's purchase made KTGF the only Black-owned television station in Montana at that time. The company planned to rebuild the station's local news operation, but the station soon lost its NBC affiliation. On July 1, 2005, NBC programming moved to KBGF-LP, and KTGF temporarily became a Fox and UPN affiliate through an arrangement involving Equity Broadcasting. Fox programming returned to KLMN in 2007, leaving KTGF as an independent station dependent on syndicated content. The station later carried Christian programming, including JCTV, a Trinity Broadcasting Network service aimed at younger viewers. Financial difficulties led to another ownership transition. Destiny defaulted on debt obligations in 2009, and the license was transferred to creditor RGW Investments LLC. The station also experienced an extended interruption in service after going off the air on December 19, 2009, because of problems with its microwave system. RGW formally received the license in September 2010 and agreed to sell the station to KTGF License Corporation, owned by broadcaster Roger Lonnquist. That transaction closed in March 2012, after which the station returned to the air with JCTV programming. MeTV announced in 2013 that it would be carried by KTGF. MeTV became the primary-channel service, while JUCE TV, the successor to JCTV, moved to a secondary subchannel. The station changed its call sign from KTGF to KJJC on July 1, 2018, and added the “-TV” suffix on May 9, 2019. It currently operates as KJJC-TV, a locally licensed broadcast brand with a classic-television-oriented MeTV identity and additional religious or Christian programming on its multicast services.
History
KJJC-TV originated in a restructuring of television affiliations in Great Falls during the mid-1980s. KRTV, which had carried both NBC and CBS programming, reduced its NBC schedule after Montana's Television Network adopted CBS as its primary statewide affiliation. ABC affiliate KFBB-TV continued to carry some NBC programs, but the market lacked a dedicated full-time NBC outlet. Joe Colla recognized the opportunity and directed Video International Publishers to apply for a construction permit for channel 16 in April 1985. The Federal Communications Commission approved the application on July 25, 1985. The ownership group subsequently operated as Continental Television Network and received a $1.1 million loan from the Montana Economic Development Board to finance construction. After construction delays caused by rain, the station began broadcasting on September 21, 1986, as KTGF. Its studios occupied a former machine shop on Sixth Street South and were shared with Colla's video-production business. KTGF began local newscasts in October of that year. The station also invested in translators and participated in a microwave distribution project with cable operator TCI to expand its reach. Although the station benefited from NBC's strong national ratings, its local news operation struggled against KRTV and KFBB-TV. Weekend news ended in August 1992, and the final weekday newscast aired on March 5, 1993, after the department had been reduced to four employees. Continental Television Network developed a small Montana station group. KTMF began operating in Missoula in 1990, and KWYB later launched in the Butte and Bozeman areas. Continental's stations also carried Fox programming as secondary affiliates beginning in 1994, although Fox NFL broadcasts remained on KFBB-TV. In December 2000, Continental accepted an $18 million offer from Max Media for its three Montana stations. Max, returning to broadcasting after selling its earlier television portfolio to Sinclair Broadcast Group, appointed Jack May as general manager and proposed technical integration among the stations. The Max era included an outsourced regional newscast known as Big Sky News. Beginning in 2002, Independent News Network of Davenport, Iowa, produced the program for the Max Montana stations, using reporters distributed across the markets while presenting the broadcasts from Iowa. Technical difficulties affected the shared transmission system, including problems during NBC's coverage of the 2002 Winter Olympics. The early edition of the regional newscast was discontinued in early 2004. Max Media's effort to acquire Great Falls ABC station KFBB-TV required it to divest KTGF. In 2004, KTGF was sold to Destiny Communications, a Wichita-based company led by Darnell Washington. The purchase was Washington's first television property and made KTGF Montana's only Black-owned television station at the time. Destiny intended to establish a full news department, but the station soon lost NBC programming. NBC selected KBGF-LP, an extension of Helena NBC station KTVH, as its Great Falls affiliate beginning July 1, 2005. KTGF responded by taking Fox and UPN programming through an arrangement involving Equity Broadcasting. Fox later returned to KLMN in May 2007, and KTGF operated independently with syndicated programming. Destiny also attempted to expand into Great Falls radio through a programming relationship with College Creek Media, but the arrangement lasted less than a year. In 2009, Destiny defaulted on its debt obligations, and the station's license was transferred to creditor RGW Investments LLC. KTGF suffered a separate operational setback when it went off the air on December 19, 2009, because of microwave-system problems. The station was still reported to be without programming in early 2010. Max Media, which had retained the studio property and leased it to Destiny, sold the building to a local law firm in March 2010. RGW's license transfer was formalized on September 27, 2010. In December 2011, RGW agreed to sell the station to KTGF License Corporation, a company owned by veteran broadcaster Roger Lonnquist. The transaction closed on March 7, 2012, and the station returned to the air with JCTV programming. In 2013, MeTV was added as the principal service. JUCE TV, the successor to JCTV, moved to a secondary digital channel, while other subchannels carried Christian programming associated with the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The station adopted the KJJC call sign on July 1, 2018, and added the -TV suffix on May 9, 2019. It is now identified as KJJC-TV, a MeTV affiliate serving Great Falls and surrounding Montana communities. Its signal is also rebroadcast in Helena through K07AAR-D, and its multicast services have been carried by KINV-LD in Billings. The station's identity therefore combines a local Great Falls broadcast license with a classic-television network affiliation and additional religious multicast services.
- 2019
Television suffix added
[1]The station added the -TV suffix to become KJJC-TV on May 9.
- 2018
Call sign changes to KJJC
[1]The station changed its call letters from KTGF to KJJC on July 1.
- 2013
MeTV launches on the station
[1]MeTV became the primary-channel service, with JUCE TV moving to a secondary subchannel.
- 2012
Lonnquist ownership begins
[1]KTGF License Corporation, owned by Roger Lonnquist, completed its acquisition and returned the station to the air.
- 2009
License transferred to creditor
[1]Following Destiny Communications' debt default, the station license was transferred to RGW Investments.
- 2007
Station becomes independent
[1]Fox programming returned to KLMN, leaving KTGF as an independent station.
- 2005
NBC affiliation ends
[1]NBC programming moved to KBGF-LP on July 1, and KTGF became a Fox and UPN affiliate.
- 2004
Destiny Communications acquires KTGF
[1]KTGF was sold to Destiny Communications to enable Max Media's acquisition of KFBB-TV.
- 2001
Max Media ownership begins
[1]Max Media acquired KTGF and two other Montana stations from Continental Television Network.
- 1993
Local news ends
[1]The station discontinued its remaining weekday newscast after local news staffing declined.
Products and positioning
A local Montana broadcast station positioned around MeTV's classic television programming, supported by multicast Christian services and regional over-the-air coverage.
Classic television network affiliation · 2013
MeTV
MeTV is KJJC-TV's primary-channel programming service. The affiliation, added in 2013, gives the station a schedule centered on classic television programs rather than locally produced news. It forms the core of KJJC-TV's current broadcast identity in the Great Falls market.
Christian digital multicast service · 2013
JUCE TV
JUCE TV is the successor to JCTV, a Christian television service associated with the Trinity Broadcasting Network and oriented toward a younger audience. After MeTV became the primary service, JUCE TV was moved to a secondary digital subchannel.
Local television news · 1986
KTGF local news
The station's original local news operation began shortly after the 1986 launch and produced early- and late-evening newscasts. It competed with established Great Falls outlets but remained in third place and was discontinued in 1993.
Regional television news · 2002
Big Sky News
Big Sky News was a regional newscast produced for Max Media's Montana stations by Independent News Network. Reporters contributed from the markets served by the stations, while the program was presented from Iowa. Its early edition was dropped in 2004.
Brand decisions
2018
Station rebrands through call-sign changeOtherBackground
The station had operated under the KTGF call sign since its 1986 launch.
Action taken
The call letters were changed to KJJC on July 1, 2018.
Aftermath
The station later added the -TV suffix in 2019 and became known as KJJC-TV.
2013
MeTV becomes primary programming serviceProduct launchBackground
After returning to the air under Roger Lonnquist's ownership, the station had been carrying JCTV programming.
Action taken
The station added MeTV to its primary channel and moved JUCE TV, formerly JCTV, to a secondary subchannel.
Aftermath
The change established the classic-television MeTV format as the station's central consumer-facing identity.
2005
Network affiliation shift after NBC lossStrategyBackground
NBC selected KBGF-LP, an extension of KTVH in Helena, as its Great Falls affiliate.
Action taken
KTGF adopted Fox and UPN programming through an arrangement involving Equity Broadcasting.
Aftermath
The Fox affiliation ended in 2007 when programming returned to KLMN, after which KTGF operated independently.
- KBGF-LP — KBGF-LP began carrying NBC programming in Great Falls on July 1, 2005.
- KLMN — KLMN regained Fox programming in May 2007.
2004
KTGF divestiture to Destiny CommunicationsM&ABackground
Max Media sought to acquire Great Falls ABC affiliate KFBB-TV and was required to place KTGF under separate ownership.
Action taken
Max Media agreed to sell KTGF to Destiny Communications.
Aftermath
Destiny became the station's owner and planned to rebuild its local news operation, but KTGF soon lost its NBC affiliation.
2000
Continental accepts Max Media acquisition offerM&ABackground
Continental Television Network operated KTGF together with ABC affiliates in Missoula and the Butte–Bozeman area.
Action taken
The company agreed to sell the three Montana stations to Max Media for $18 million.
Aftermath
Max Media assumed ownership in 2001 and introduced shared technical and news operations across the group.
Acquisition price. $18 million (Announced December 2000)
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