Friends of KGLT hosted their first annual Music Swap last Saturday at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. The event was hosted to support KGLT, an independent radio station that broadcasts throughout Southwestern Montana.

Music players, sound equipment, clothing and other merchandise were donated by community members to be sold at the event. Revenue from the merchandise sale and cover charge will support KGLT. The event raised roughly $2,000 through sales alone.

Tom Porter, president of Friends of KGLT, commented that the goal was to “make a
community event around KGLT and around music.”

Porter said attendance at the event was robust, with 54 customers in the first hour and over 300 customers throughout the day. He hopes to make the event an annual community experience.

Porter reported that numerous customers asked about continuation of the event in coming years. “We feel it was a huge success,” he said.

however, Porter cited poor advertising as a problem with the event, especially around MSU. He had hoped that MSU students would have been interested in some of the merchandise, specifically the physical media, for sale.

Porter said that short preparation time, only about 10 weeks, was responsible for this problem.

The event’s appeal extended well beyond the music. Friends of KGLT invited independent vendors to sell music equipment, food and drink was on sale and KGLT played over loud speakers throughout the event.

Porter is optimistic that the event will continue in the future and that KGLT will remain an important part of the community.

“I think it’s important that people realize that KGLT is a rare resource,” Porter said. “Friends of KGLT makes sure that resource is healthy and giving back to the community, and that the community is involved the way they are now.”