KPAM

Troutdale, Oregon
Broadcast area	Portland metropolitan area
Frequency	860 kHz
Branding	AM 860 The Answer
Programming
Format	Conservative talk radio
Affiliations	Salem Radio Network Townhall News
Ownership
Owner	Salem Media Group (Salem Media of Oregon, Inc.)
Sister stations	KDZR, KFIS, KPDQ, KPDQ-FM, KRYP
History
First air date	1997; 27 years ago (1997)
Former call signs	KZTW (1991-1997, CP)
Call sign meaning	Pamplin Broadcasting (former owner)[1]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	29553
Class	B
Power	50,000 watts day 15,000 watts night
Transmitter coordinates	45°38′48″N 122°30′49″W / 45.64667°N 122.51361°W / 45.64667; -122.51361
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	theanswerportland.com

KPAM (860 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a conservative talk radio format. Licensed to Troutdale, Oregon, it serves the Portland metropolitan area. The station is owned by the Salem Media Group, with radio studios and offices on SE Lake Road in Portland. It is branded as "860 The Answer" and carries nationally syndicated Salem Radio Network hosts including Dennis Prager, Mike Gallagher, Sebastian Gorka, Hugh Hewitt and Charlie Kirk.

By day, KPAM broadcasts at 50,000 watts non-directional, the highest power permitted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). But because 860 kHz is a Canadian clear channel frequency, KPAM must reduce power to 15,000 watts at night, and use a directional antenna, to avoid interfering with CJBC Toronto, the Class A station on the frequency. The transmitter is on NE 34th Street in Vancouver, Washington.^[3]

History

KPAM signed on the air in 1997; 27 years ago (1997). It was owned by Pamplin Broadcasting, from which it gets its call sign. The station had a talk radio format from its founding. It carried world and national news updates from ABC Radio News.^[4]

In 2018, Pamplin Broadcasting sold the station to Salem Media.^[5][6] On April 2, 2018, KPAM rebranded as "860 The Answer".^[7] It began airing the line up of Salem Radio Network programs.