KWAV
Encyclopedia
KWAV is a commercial radio station
in Monterey, California
, broadcasting to the Santa Cruz
-Monterey
-Salinas, California
, area on 96.9 FM
.
KWAV airs an adult contemporary music format branded as "K-Wave 97 FM".
In February 1996, the station revamped its image, becoming "Soft Rock Favorites" and shifting its playlist to include more 70's songs.
In March 1999, the station dropped its "Love Songs Til Midnight" all-request call-in program in favor of the nationally-syndicated Delilah program. "LSTM" host Candy James subsequently moved to middays.
From 2000-2005, the station's music mix included numerous R&B oldies by Al Green, The Supremes, The Spinners, and The Four Tops.
In 2003, local TV personality Barry Brown and Karen Hamilton joined as hosts of the morning program (5:30 to 9:00).
In 2005, the station shifted its playlist to include fewer oldies and more of the upbeat 80's and 90's R&B-leaning tracks it used to play in the mid 1990's. The station also began adding 70's-era R&B/disco tracks by artists such as Earth Wind & Fire, Diana Ross, Gloria Gaynor, and The Beegees. The branding remains "Soft Rock Favorites."
In 2007, the station began to broadcast in HD Radio
.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, broadcasting to the Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
-Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
-Salinas, California
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
, area on 96.9 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
.
KWAV airs an adult contemporary music format branded as "K-Wave 97 FM".
History, 1994-present
In the mid-90's, KWAV was branded as "Today's Hits, Yesterday's Favorites." The Adult Contemporary music mix was upbeat, featuring an R&B-leaning playlist with Cher, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Paula Abdul, The Pointer Sisters, Vanessa Williams, Brian McKnight, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Smokey Robinson, Timmy T, Stevie B, Expose, and Ace of Base as core artists. Other core artists included Amy Grant, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Sting, Michael Bolton, Billy Joel, Richard Marx, Paul Young, Restless Heart, Don Hensley, Foreigner, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Huey Lewis, Heart, Roxette, Basia, and Swingout Sister. Also included were numerous pop/alternative crossover tracks by Melissa Etheridge, Duran Duran, Sheryl Crow, Lisa Loeb, Hootie & The Blowfish, Meatloaf, and Dionne Farris. By early 1996, the music mix became very upbeat - almost Hot Adult Contemporary in nature - and included songs by Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms and The Cranberries.In February 1996, the station revamped its image, becoming "Soft Rock Favorites" and shifting its playlist to include more 70's songs.
In March 1999, the station dropped its "Love Songs Til Midnight" all-request call-in program in favor of the nationally-syndicated Delilah program. "LSTM" host Candy James subsequently moved to middays.
From 2000-2005, the station's music mix included numerous R&B oldies by Al Green, The Supremes, The Spinners, and The Four Tops.
In 2003, local TV personality Barry Brown and Karen Hamilton joined as hosts of the morning program (5:30 to 9:00).
In 2005, the station shifted its playlist to include fewer oldies and more of the upbeat 80's and 90's R&B-leaning tracks it used to play in the mid 1990's. The station also began adding 70's-era R&B/disco tracks by artists such as Earth Wind & Fire, Diana Ross, Gloria Gaynor, and The Beegees. The branding remains "Soft Rock Favorites."
In 2007, the station began to broadcast in HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
.