KRYP took on its current callsign and radio format during the two-week period starting on March 28, 2007. From early 2006[5] to April 11, 2007, the station was known as KTRO and featured a talk radio format.
KTRO-FM came into existence through a complicated deal that involved five owners of radio stations in Oregon and featured both signal downgrades and frequency migrations.[6] It started in 2005 when Salem Communications bought the FM signal from New Northwest Broadcasters, who had operated it as KAST-FM on 92.9 in Astoria, Oregon. To make room on the Portland dial, KPDQ-FM, also owned by Salem, moved from 93.7 to 93.9 and downgraded its broadcast station class from C to C1.[6] McKenzie River Broadcasting's KKNU, licensed to Springfield, moved from 93.1 to 93.3. Bay Cities Building's KDCQ, licensed to Coos Bay, moved from 93.5 to 92.9. Meanwhile, Oregon Eagle's KTIL-FM, licensed to Tillamook, moved from 94.1 to 94.3. New Northwest's own 94.3 licensed to Long Beach, Washington/Astoria, picked up the KAST-FM callsign and format from the original 92.9 to 99.7.[6]
Salem Communication, which normally "target[s] audiences interested in Christian and family-themed content and conservative values",[7] brought in José Santos of Santos Latin Media, former program director of KLVE in Los Angeles,[8] to consult on its change to a Regional Mexican format.[4]
