Nemont Explains Loss Of Montana Networks
The Nemont company is just as upset as many of its customers because its television network no longer carries Montana channels.
Leif Handran, sales and marketing manager for Nemont, explains that the two Great Falls TV stations made the decisions. Nemont has been encouraging customers to voice their complaints to the Fox and ABC stations in Great Falls.
“We’re just as frustrated as they are,” Handran said of Nemont’s customers. “We’ve been telling our customers to express their frustration.”
He explained part of the problem is that Roosevelt, Daniels and Sheridan counties are assigned to North Dakota as far as the Designated Marketing Area. Handran said a couple of years ago that the Great Falls channels permitted Nemont to broadcast their programs, but that’s no longer the case.
“We want to carry them, but they won’t allow us,” Handran said. “We were willing to pay the extra money to keep their stations on our network.”
He feels it might be possible for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale to work on changing the long-established Designated Marketing Area format. Handran agrees that Montanans should be able to watch Montana news.
“It’s going to hurt us,” Handran said. “We will probably lose customers.”
Roosevelt County commissioners said they are planning to contact the Great Falls TV stations to gain more information and then discuss what further action can be taken.
Nemont encourage all customers to call the FCC to reassign these three counties to a Montana DMA, not the North Dakota DMA. The FCC complaint line is 888- 225-5322.
