DEV FROM CLRNC -- CLRNC DISPUTED -- THIS ACR REQUESTED A CIRCLING CLRNC TO LAND AND LATER READ BACK THE CLRNC; BUT THE CTLR; LATER; SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT CLRED. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION THE FLC WAS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THE APCH AND LAND.

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ZDV CLRED US TO 12000 FT; EXPECT ILS RWY 2. BECAUSE OF THE CLR CONDITIONS; THE CAPT ASKED FOR THE VOR RWY 30 CIRCLE TO RWY 2; FOR PAX ENJOYMENT. WE WERE INSIDE THE IAF FOR THIS APCH. WE READ BACK THE CLRNC FOR THE VOR APCH VERBATIM AND STARTED OUR DSCNT TO 8600 FT MSL ON THE 15 DME ARC. AFTER PASSING THROUGH 9000 FT; CTR ASKED US IF WE WERE MAINTAINING 12000 FT; THE CAPT SAID NO; WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VOR 30 APCH. CTR SAID A CLRNC WAS NOT GIVEN; EVEN THOUGH THE CAPT READ IT BACK ENTIRELY. I DID NOT HEAR THE ORIGINAL CLRNC FROM ATC; SO I HAD JUST TALKED TO COMPANY RADIO; BUT I DID HEAR THE CAPT REPLY WITH 'CLRED FOR THE VOR RWY 30 CIRCLE TO RWY 2' WITHOUT ANY QUESTION FROM ATC. WE WERE IN VMC CONDITIONS THE WHOLE TIME; AND ON THE TRANSITION LEG TO THE APCH; SO SAFETY WAS NOT AN ISSUE. WE RPTED LEAVING 12000 FT AND OUR CLRNC FOR THE APCH. SO ATC DIDN'T HEAR OUR ORIGINAL READBACK IN OUR WORDS OR ATC WAS/COULD HAVE BEEN WORKING 2 FREQS; AND ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CALL WITHOUT REALLY HEARING WHAT WAS SAID. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A DC9-30 INTO GLACIER PARK INTL AT KALISPELL; MT; WHEN THE CONFUSION BEGAN. THE CAPT READ BACK THE REQUESTED CLRNC WHILE THE FO WAS ON COMPANY RADIO SO ALL THE FO HEARD WAS THE LAST PART OF THE READBACK. THE CTLR DID NOT RESPOND AND MAY NOT HAVE HEARD THE XMISSION. THE FAA HAS NOT SPOKEN TO THE FLC SINCE THE EVENT AND WHEN THE FLC CALLED THE CTR THE SUPVR DID NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED. THE FO SAID THAT HE WILL TRY IN THE FUTURE TO NOT BE OFF THE FREQ WHEN THE COCKPIT IS BUSY.