Park County group seeks to restore KPRK radio station as museum and emergency communications hub
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Summary
Moglio Media Group told the committee it has raised private match and aims to restore the 1946 KPRK station in Livingston as an operational AM station, public media hub and historic site that would also serve as an emergency alert system for rural Park County.
Andrew Feltenstein, speaking for Molio/Moglio Media Group, asked the subcommittee to support a Montana Historic Preservation Grant for restoration of the historic KPRK radio station building in Livingston.
Feltenstein said the 1946 Art‑Deco building is on the National Register and that the restoration would return the building to use as an operating radio station, an audio museum and a community media hub. He said private fundraising and in‑kind services would provide the required match and that the applicant already owns the AM license for 1340 kHz. Feltenstein highlighted the station’s role in public safety, saying the AM service and its 250‑foot AM antenna are “the only emergency alert system in Park County capable of reaching all of its rural areas, which lack reliable Internet and cellular service.”
Why it matters: committee members asked for technical and licensing details; the project brings preservation and emergency‑communications arguments together, and the applicant said the restored station will create permanent and temporary jobs and serve as a cultural anchor for Livingston and Park County.
Details from testimony
- Public‑safety role: Molio explained that the AM station extends reach into rural areas that otherwise have patchy Internet and cellular service and that restoring the station protects a local emergency communications lifeline.
- Project scope and match: Feltenstein said the group is seeking grant funds to stabilize and renovate the structure, install broadcasting equipment, and build an amphitheater; private contributions and in‑kind labor are pledged as match and the city of Livingston has approved an amphitheater plan.
- Licensing and operations: the applicant said it holds the AM license and intends to restore full local programming and community access once the facility is operational.
Ending: Committee members complimented community support and encouraged the applicant to provide more detailed budget and technical materials for staff review.