KPAM (860 AM)

KPAM
Broadcast area
Portland metropolitan area
Frequency860 kHz
BrandingAM 860 The Answer
Programming
FormatConservative talk
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
1997 (1997)
Former call signs
  • KZTW (1991–1997, CP)
  • KPAM (1997–2026)
  • KDZR (2026)
Call sign meaning
Pamplin Broadcasting (former owner)
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
29553
ClassB
Power
  • 50,000 watts (day)
  • 15,000 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
45°38′47.4″N 122°30′53.3″W / 45.646500°N 122.514806°W / 45.646500; -122.514806
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitetheanswerportland.com

KPAM (860 AM) was a commercial radio station licensed to Troutdale, Oregon, United States, and serving the Portland metropolitan area. Owned by the Salem Media Group, it featured a conservative talk format branded as "AM 860 The Answer", with studios and offices on SE Lake Road in Portland. KPAM's transmitter was sited on NE 34th Street in Vancouver, Washington. The station operated from 1997 until 2026; it closed when Salem moved its programming and call sign to 1640 AM, with the 860 AM license being canceled under that station's former KDZR call sign.

History

KPAM signed on the air in 1997. It was owned by Pamplin Broadcasting, from which it took its call sign. The station initially had a contemporary Christian music format but soon switched to a talk radio format. It carried world and national news updates from ABC News Radio.

In 2018, Pamplin Broadcasting sold the station to Salem Media Group. On April 2, 2018, KPAM rebranded as "860 The Answer". It began airing the line up of Salem Radio Network programs.

On March 9, 2026, KPAM announced it would be moving its talk programming to KDZR (1640 AM) on April 1. The two stations would simulcast through April 17, and "The Answer" would air only on 1640 on April 18. The two stations swapped call signs on that date; the Federal Communications Commission cancelled the KDZR license on November 5 at Salem's request.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for KPAM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 page D-457, Broadcasting & Cable
  3. ↑ "KPAM Is Alive and Well". finance.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Salem Media Group, Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2018 Total Revenue of $66.3 Million". finance.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Salem Shuffles Programming At Three Portland AMs". RadioInsight. April 3, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Portland’s Answer On The Move". RadioInsight. March 9, 2026. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  7. ↑ KDZR at FCCData.com
  8. ↑ "License Cancelled". Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Management System. November 5, 2026. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
  9. ↑ Venta, Lance (November 8, 2026). "FCC Report 11/8: Bidder Defaults On FM Auction Payments". RadioInsight. Retrieved November 8, 2026.