Inside MTPR

Montana is world famous for its pristine natural environment, but it’s also home to America’s largest Superfund site (in Butte) and numerous other wastelands of its industrial past. Over the years, various well-intentioned economic revivalists and snake oil salesmen have proposed solutions to alchemize mine waste into gold - first with the environmental restoration industry, now with bitcoin miners putting out shingles in historic hard rock mining towns. This series of stories will explore the Treasure State’s collapsed pride, and efforts to process its toxic shame and legacy into a new identity and economy.

Spring has hit Western Montana which means that for us here at Montana Public Radio the annual spring pledge drive is on the horizon. We have been busy making preparations for this very busy and very important 9 days for Montana Public Radio, but it takes more than just the staff of MTPR to have a successful and fun pledge week.

Did you miss an episode of your favorite local music show on Montana Public Radio? Good news, you can now find online archives for shows like "Freeforms," "Pea Green Boat," "Jazz Sessions," "The Folk Show" and more via Radio Free America.

Join us for a deep exploration of politics and civility at our Repairing Public Discourse event with "On Being’s" Krista Tippett, along with guests Sally Kohn and Erick Erickson - live on-stage Tuesday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. in Missoula at the Dennison Theater on the UM Campus. Admission is free.

Get to know the people of Montana Public Radio. Today, meet John Arvish.

Get to know the people of Montana Public Radio. Today: Olivia Sears.

The 2018 Big Sky Documentary film festival will present a special event with seven official audio documentary selections in the inaugural AudioDocs program produced in partnership with Montana Public Radio.

I’m so excited for the upcoming year. MTPR has many great events coming up in 2018.

We’ll be in Helena soon for a brown-bag lunch listener get-together on February 13 at the Myrna Loy Center from noon to 1:30 p.m. MTPR is sponsoring the International Guitar Night performance at the Myrna Loy that evening as well.

Happy birthday to us! Today marks 53 years on-air for Montana Public Radio. We've come a long way from 1965 when we started as a student training facility at UM with a broadcast area that only covered a few blocks. With the hard work of countless volunteers, program hosts, and staff — and financial support from listeners like you — we've matured into a media network broadcasting Montana news, arts & culture and hand-picked music across western Montana, and worldwide via the web.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make MTPR what it is today!

Nicky Ouellet, MTPR's Flathead-area reporter and producer of "SubSurface" reviews some of her favorite Montana Public Radio news stories from 2017.