Stationed In Montana The Memoir of Great Falls Broadcast Pioneer Dan Snyder

Dan Snyder was born in Louisville Kentucky. His father was a stern German and gifted engineer whose tragedies, opportunities and marriages led to many unexpected life detours. Great Falls’ Air Base first brought Dan to Montana, but World War II ended, and he was discharged to New Jersey. A job at the New York Times spurred a passion for journalism. His Great Falls girlfriend came to visit, they married and moved to Missoula for college where Dan’s passions turned to English and philosophy. His wife saw an article in the Montana Kaimin student paper about a Radio Guild being formed. Insisting he studied too much and needed something else, she told him to go and “don’t come home unless you’re elected president”. He was hooked. Dan worked as an announcer, program director and salesman at radios stations across Montana before plunging into the challenges of building new stations in the 1950’s. The record windstorm that knocked his new KRTV off the air 45 minutes after their first sign on only spurred him on. His stations succeeded without network programming, despite predictions from competitors. Dan’s aspirations for growth in other states were derailed by tragedies, opportunities and marriages, like his father. In a time between broadcast pursuits, Dan bought Great Falls’ Old Milwaukee train station, turning it into a retail-dining enterprise. Dan loved Montana, the lifestyle and people. As a young southern boy, he never would have imagined his journey to a Great Falls Air Base, radio-tv stations, and a train station. Dan was destined to be STATIONED IN MONTANA.