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Welcome to our redesigned website.
As a reintroduction of our half century old Foundation, let me tell you about our founder, Ed Craney. Edmund B. Craney was a pioneer broadcaster, an entrepreneur, an inventor and creator of change. He had a fond appreciation for his adopted state, Montana and the broadcast industry he helped found.
His radio station KGPR in Butte was the third station to go on the air in 1929 in Montana. He collaborated with his longtime friend, Montana US Senator Burton K. Wheeler to write “The Communications Act of l933,” the most important piece of national broadcast legislation of the twentieth century. For one hundred years it remained the Bible of the Communications Industry.
By the late 1930’s Craney would own a number of stations. He would eventually link those stations in Butte, Bozeman, Helena, Missoula and Great Falls to form the first connected radio news network in the west. Craney, in the 1950’s would add picture to voice and move into the new medium of television. He established a group of TV stations across Montana. We recognize those stations today as the Montana's News Station. He also partnered in television stations in Spokane and Portland with entertainer and Spokane native, Bing Crosby.
In 1958 with the guidance of friends, Craney established the Greater Montana Foundation. In 2009 we celebrated our 51st year, granting $275,000.00 to help fund community interest programming and preservation. We continue to support an annual broadcast awards competition to recognize excellence among state broadcasters. Our long standing partner is the Montana Broadcasters Association. The GMF/MBA Broadcast Awards Ceremony takes place every year at the annual MBA convention. The Oscars of Awards Night are appropriately named the “EBees,” a salute E.B. Craney. They are proudly displayed by the winners in radio and television station across the state.
During 2008 the GMF funded live statewide television coverage of election debates featuring candidates for Governor, the U.S. Senate and Congress. We are in the third year of underwriting the Craney Studio Project in cooperation with The Montana Historical Society. We are currently funding construction and purchasing technology for a high definition television production and presentation facility at the MHS. Space inside The Society is currently being remodeled to house the studio. The area will also feature an audio/video presentation chronicling “The History of Broadcasting in Montana” When the Historical Society expands into a new building in the future the Craney Studio will move with it. We were very pleased to support these worthy projects. We believe they benefit the people of Montana.
This June the Board of Trustees welcomed two new members to our twelve member board. Ron Davis, owner of KBOW/KOPR, Butte and KANA/KGLM, Anaconda, and Randy Morger, retired public relations executive from Fort Benton. Both individuals bring decades of knowledge and wisdom to the board and are currently busy with committee duties. A warm thank you to Ralph Yeager for his guidance and support as a board member who retired in 2009.
Special tribute should be paid to our loyal trustees whose generous donation of time and resources fuels our engine. We also want to thank Marnee Banks, our Foundation Executive Director. Marnee’s close attention to detail and dedication has made our job as trustees much easier.
The GMF aims forward in 2009/2010 with positive board input and participation.
Our goal is to remain true to Ed’s ideals for the Foundation, while working diligently to fulfill our mission.
Robert Hoene, Chairman
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