FM 99 The Mountain
Montana’s Home for Rock and Roll
Photography by Stu Hoefle
November Issue - 2025
As the last notes of an 80’s rock song faded, Les King’s smooth voice surfed out across the airwaves. He greeted his listeners, announced the time, talked about the weather, and followed up with a short synopsis of the latest news before moving to the promotion of a local business.
His on-air partner, TJ, jumped in and added an extra touch to the promo by including that she was headed to that business later to find a gift for Les. He hinted that he really loves the Mountain House dried food they carry. TJ laughed and said she’d check out their selection.
It’s obvious these on-air partners are comfortable with their popular morning program; their casual bantering, impromptu topics and lighthearted conversation keep their audience informed and entertained.
Brent and Teresa Oliphant, known on the airwaves as Les King and TJ, have been waking up Red Lodge and the surrounding area for 32 years. Prior to coming to Red Lodge, they owned the Glendive radio station for eight years. They, along with Les’ brother, Jeff Oliphant own FM 99 The Mountain.
The couple recently celebrated 45 years of marriage. They raised four children in Red Lodge and are an integral part of the community.
TJ’s voice is soft, clear and tender. She speaks with compassion and the love she has for her listeners is evident. Off-air she teared up talking about a homebound listener who often reaches out to her expressing how her show impacts him. The grandmother of 19, TJ is proficient at easy conversation and is a source of encouragement to many.
“We try to keep things upbeat and encouraging,” she said. “We’re real here. We’re authentic. And people expect that from us.”
Keeping a close eye on the clock, Les and TJ keep a running dialog in between music and pre-programmed advertisements and announcements.
Radio is in the Oliphant’s blood: Les’s father had a station in Dillon in the late 50’s.
“Dad was the ‘Good Morning Vietnam,’ of the Korean war,” Les said proudly. “After he came home, he had the station in Dillon for 25 years.”
Les has been “on the air,” since his early teens. “Back then, it was spinning records,” he laughed. “It’s a lot easier today. Everything is computerized.”
The station’s tower is located at the top of Miami Beach on Red Lodge Mountain. It is the fourth highest transmitter in the state, with a reach of hundreds of miles encompassing southcentral Montana and northern Wyoming.
“When I was looking for a location, I stood up there and could see forever,” Les added. “I knew we’d have incredible transmitting from there.”
Arriving every day at the station in the predawn hours, Les spends three or four hours inserting songs, advertisements and news spots into the computerized program and then gets ready for the live program he and TJ do each morning. From 7:00 until 9:00 a.m., the couple wake up listeners playing hit songs from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, while exchanging good-humored teasing, sharing current topics, tidbits about the community and upcoming events. Several days of the week, guests are part of the programming with Les and TJ leading the conversation.
At 9:00 TJ takes off her headphones and puts on her administration hat while Les continues his solo programming until noon. TJ returns to the air in the afternoons. At 6:00 the office closes down, but the radio stays on-air 24 hours, thanks again to computerized programming.
“There’s only a few of us,” Les said, “And we’re all an integral part of the success of our station.”
Les’ brother, Jeff Oliphant engineers the programming of the station and is the sales manager; three others round out the staff. With a small staff, there’s always plenty to do. In addition to sales and production, and live programming, the station streams regional sports from over a dozen nearby communities. Listeners are familiar with “Mike Long has the call,” as Mike announces the play-by-play of football and basketball games.
While many locally owned and operated radio stations are being absorbed by national media companies, Les and TJ are a testament to hard work and resilience and are especially proud of their history of bringing the best programming available to their listeners. Their passion has made FM 99 The Mountain a mainstay of the community and contributes to the infamous local, hometown feel of Red Lodge.
To listen:
Dial in at 99.3 on the radio
OR
fm99mtn.com
