KBMS
radio station in Vancouver, Washington
KBMS (1480 AM) is a radio station broadcasting an urban adult contemporary format. Licensed to Vancouver, Washington, United States, it serves the Portland, Oregon area. The studios are in Vancouver, while the transmitter site is in North Portland at the Smith and Bybee Refuge.
On February 2, 1956, 1480 AM began operations as KRIV in Camas, Washington. On December 30, 1961, the transmitter and additional studio were moved from 1916 N.E. 2nd Ave., in Camas, to 12640 N. Farr Rd. on Hayden Island, Oregon. The location was in the N.W. corner parking area at "Jantzen Beach Amusement Park", which today is about where "Video Only" is at 1860 N. Hayden Island Dr. The studio was in a small building which stood a few feet above ground.
The station is currently owned by Gloria and Christopher Bennett, through licensee Bennett Media Group, LLC; Christopher Bennett is the founder of the Seattle Medium. KBMS is known in Portland's African-American community.
The public source identifies “KBMS” as radio station in Vancouver, Washington. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around KBMS, radio and station.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “KBMS”, the useful work is to connect “radio station in Vancouver, Washington” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q14708969. Authority coordinates are 45.602, -122.718. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1480, 1956, 1961 and 1916.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “KBMS”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow KBMS primary sources, KBMS archive and KBMS research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “KBMS”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “KBMS” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.