KULR-8 News

What KULR-8 News does

KULR-8 News is a local broadcast television station and digital media outlet serving Billings, Montana and adjacent Wyoming communities. Founded in 1950 and rebranded in 2024 under the NonStop Local banner, the station is owned by Cowles Montana Media, a subsidiary of the Cowles Publishing Company conglomerate headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Its core function is producing and distributing hyperlocal news, weather, sports (including University of Montana, Montana State University, and high school coverage via SWX Local Sports), politics, and community content. Editorial programming is anchored by regional reporters and meteorologists, with consumer-advocacy and community engagement franchises such as "Help Me Ben" and "Coffee for a Cause" supporting audience loyalty.

The technology stack is built on the third-party BLOX Content Management System from BLOX Digital for the primary digital property at kulr8.com, supplemented by the NonStop Local Montana mobile application, live streaming infrastructure ("The Pulse"), embedded podcast hosting, integrated weather radar and forecasting modules, and an email/newsletter system. Content is distributed across licensed broadcast television, the website, the mobile app, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, Instagram), and podcasts. Distribution is regional, with markets served explicitly identified as Montana and Wyoming, and there is no global footprint or external institutional investment disclosed.

The business model is free, ad-supported media: viewers consume content at no cost while revenue is generated through broadcast and digital advertising sold to local and regional businesses (including healthcare providers, automotive dealers, and financial institutions) seeking reach into the Billings DMA. Specific pricing and rate-card information is not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held under its parent conglomerate, with no public shareholders or listed securities.

Name

KULR-8 News

Legal name

KHQ Incorporated and Cowles Montana Media

Website

https://kulr8.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KULR-8 News is a local television station and digital media outlet serving Billings, Montana and Wyoming with hyperlocal news, weather, and sports distributed via broadcast, website, mobile app, and social channels under Cowles Montana Media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Local News & Weather Stations (MPABACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local/Regional News Channels (MPABAIAD), Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)

Keywords

• Local television news
• Digital news publishing
• Weather forecasting
• Sports coverage
• Broadcast media

Headquarters

HQ city

Billings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KULR-8 News is a local broadcast television station and digital news media platform serving Billings, Montana and the surrounding Wyoming region. It produces and distributes hyperlocal news, weather forecasting, sports coverage (SWX Sports), Montana politics, and community feature content through traditional broadcast TV, the kulr8.com website, the NonStop Local Montana mobile application, live streaming ("The Pulse"), podcasts, and social media channels. Revenue is generated through advertising sold to local businesses seeking reach to the Billings-area audience.

Product overview

KULR-8 News operates as a local television news station and digital media company serving Billings, Montana and surrounding regions. The company offers a multi-platform news operation consisting of the KULR-8.com website as its primary digital news platform, the NonStop Local Montana mobile application for on-the-go news consumption, SWX Local Sports as a dedicated sports content brand covering UM, MSU, and high school athletics, KULR Weather providing meteorological forecasting and alerts, The Pulse live streaming program, and podcast content. The offerings work together to deliver local news, weather, sports, and entertainment content across web, mobile, and streaming channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SWX Local Sports: Local sports coverage platform for Montana region including high school, college (UM, MSU), and regional sports content.
• The Pulse

Products and services

• KULR-8.com Website Primary digital news platform providing 24/7 local news, weather, sports, and video content for Billings, Montana and surrounding regions. Offers live streaming, podcasts, and interactive community features. Free to access, ad-supported.
• NonStop Local Montana Mobile App Mobile application providing news content and push notifications for Montana users, featuring local news articles, weather updates, and breaking news alerts. Available on iOS and Android app stores.
• SWX Local Sports Sports content platform covering local sports including University of Montana (UM), Montana State University (MSU), and high school athletics throughout Montana.
• The Pulse (Live Streaming) Live streaming video program providing continuous news coverage and live events streaming via the kulr8.com website.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• TownNews (Bloomerang / BLOX Digital): BLOX Digital/TownNews provides the CMS and digital publishing infrastructure used by KULR-8 and many local broadcasters. Comparable as the shared technology platform enabling the station's digital distribution.

Direct peers

• Montana Right Now (KXLH / KRTV): Montana Right Now is the Cowles Montana Media sister-brand network covering Helena and Great Falls. It is directly comparable to KULR-8 as a sibling local news outlet within the same NonStop Local digital platform and Cowles ownership umbrella.
• KBZK / KXLF (MTN News): KBZK/KXLF provide CBS-affiliated local news across Montana, including Bozeman, Butte, and Helena. They compete with KULR-8 for statewide Montana audience share, advertising dollars, and digital news consumption.
• KPAX (Missoula): KPAX is a CBS-affiliated local TV station serving western Montana (Missoula). It overlaps with KULR-8's broader Montana coverage ambitions and competes for regional advertisers and digital audience.
• KTVQ (Q2 News): KTVQ is a CBS-affiliated local TV station also serving Billings, Montana and surrounding markets. It is the closest direct competitor to KULR-8 (NBC-affiliated) for local news viewers, advertisers, and digital audience in the same DMA.

Broad incumbents

• Sinclair Broadcast Group: Sinclair is one of the largest U.S. local TV station operators. While not directly overlapping Montana, it represents the broadcast-group model against which KULR-8's single-station scale and economics should be benchmarked.
• Scripps (E.W. Scripps Company): E.W. Scripps owns multiple local TV stations and digital brands across the U.S. It is a broad incumbent in the same local-broadcasting industry, useful as a comparable for unit economics of a multi-station local broadcaster.
• Gray Television: Gray Television operates a large portfolio of local TV stations across mid-sized U.S. markets comparable to Billings. It is a relevant broad-incumbent comparable for local news monetization and digital extension strategy.
• Cowles Media / NonStop Local Network: The NonStop Local network aggregates multiple Cowles-owned Montana local news stations under a unified digital brand. It is the broader incumbent platform within which KULR-8 operates and against which standalone local stations are benchmarked.
• Cowles Publishing Company: Cowles Publishing Company is the diversified media parent of KULR-8. Comparable as a broader multi-station, multi-platform media group with overlapping editorial, sales, and operational infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kulr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NonStopLocalEverywhere
• Facebookfacebook.com/nonstoplocalbillings
• Instagraminstagram.com/kulr8

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KULR-8 News