Jonathon Ambarian grew up in a small town in the mountains of Southern California. He first moved to Montana in 2009, to attend the University of Montana in Missoula. He graduated in 2013 with a major in broadcast journalism and a minor in Spanish, and he’s a proud Griz fan.
Jonathon got his first experience reporting on Montana politics and government in 2013, covering the state Legislature for broadcasters around the state as part of UM’s Legislative News Service. Ever since, he’s loved sharing stories about what the state’s leaders are doing and how their decisions affect Montanans’ lives.
After the session ended, Jonathon stayed in Helena for the summer, reporting and anchoring the news on KBLL Radio. He moved to Yakima, Wash. in 2014, and worked for two years at KIMA-TV, first managing the station’s website and social media, then producing the evening newscasts.
Then, in 2016, he was excited to for the opportunity to return to Montana as a reporter with the Montana Television Network. He worked for more than five years as a general assignment reporter in Helena, covering state and local government, schools and other stories around the community.
Since 2022, Jonathon has been a senior political reporter for MTN, covering Montana government, the Legislature and elections. He still lives in Helena, but you can find his stories on your local MTN stations across the state.
When he isn’t working, Jonathon spends as much time as he can hiking, fishing, riding his bike and traveling around the state to experience all Montana has to offer.
