Progressive talk coming soon to Big Sky country

Triple-A fans in Missoula, Mont. had an extra reason to celebrate over the 4th of July weekend when KDTR "the Trail" signed on. The Spanish Peaks Broadcasting station says it is Montana's first HD radio station.

Former modern WKQX (Q101) Chicago and KMMS Bozeman morning host Robert Chase will program the station and host afternoons. Scott Hawk joins for mornings, J.J. Quinn will take middays, and evenings will be handled by Nancy Walton. During late nights, the Trail will broadcast the syndicated "Moonlight Groove Highway."

Until Chase joins the station in August, GM Dave Cowan will handle his afternoon shift. Cowan arrives from Bozeman, Mont., where he was market manager for Clear Channel's six-station cluster.

The Trail is being run by Mount Sentinel under a time brokerage agreement with Spanish Peaks. Spanish Peaks and Mount Sentinel will launch two more stations in July, one of which will be a progressive talk station, and become Montana's first Air America affiliate.

UPDATE: The new progressive station will be on 105.9. Like the other two, it is a new sign-on, and it will be on the air within a month. The call letters, according to this source will be KKNS.