History, 1994-Present
KCDU (and previously calls KXKT) were located at 93.5 FM from 1994 to 2003.
93.5 FM was originally "Cat Country 93.5" (KXKT) from December 1994 to November 1996, playing nationally-syndicated country programming.
In November 1996, KXKT flipped to "Modern Rock at 93.5... CD-93" under new calls KCDU. The original format was a mix of Alternative, Triple A, and alternative-leaning Contemporary Christian music. Typical artists included Ani DiFranco, Shawn Colvin, Smashing Pumpkins, Fiona Apple, 311, Counting Crows, Jars of Clay and DC Talk.
In July 1997, the station's playlist shifted to a mainstream Modern Adult Contemporary format. Alternative and Triple A tracks were replaced by pop-leaning songs by artists such as Ace of Base, Madonna and Prince. The station officially re-branded itself as "Today's Music... CD-93" in August 1997. Around the same time, an all-request "80's New Wave" program began airing Saturday nights from 9 to midnight.
The station's Fall 1997 lineup included Mike Scott (mornings), Sandy Shore (middays), program director Bill Goldsmith (afternoons), and Sini Mann (evenings). Ms. Shore and Mr. Goldsmith were voicetracked, while Mr. Scott and Mr. Mann were live.
In late 1997, the station (and sister station KPIG) was sold to NuWave Broadcasting out of Hawaii. The station moved from KPIG's Watsonville studios to NuWave's Salinas studios.
In 1998, the station added even more pop-leaning tracks, including "You're Still The One" by Shania Twain and "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. A voicetracked DJ simply known as "Christopher" replaced Bill Goldsmith in the afternoons.
In March 1999, the station revamped its lineup, replacing Sandy Shore and Christopher with live DJ's Jae Jae (middays) and Maverick (afternoons). Prior to KCDU, Maverick worked at crosstown KDON-FM for two years. When the new KDON PD (Danny Ocean) came in, he fired Maverick. 10 minutes later, Mav was back on the air at CD93 doing afternoons and soon became the assistant program director. Jae Jae became famous for her "I'm outtie like a belly-button" sign-off phrase, and great stunts like the walk from Monterey to Santa Cruz for a Children's care center in Santa Cruz.
Several programming changes also occurred in March 1999. The first was "10-in-a-row's" - where the station now played 10 songs each hour non-stop without commercials. The second was a new program called "Underground Planet." "UP" revived some of the cutting-edge, harder alternative tracks dropped from the station in 1997. The show aired 10-12 weeknights; artists included Cibo Matto, Bran Van 3000, Blinker The Star, The Drowners, Angie Aparo, and Fountains of Wayne. Finally, the station dropped some of its most pop-leaning artists (including Ace of Base), and shifted back to a true Modern Adult Contemporary station.
In January 2000, the station reimaged itself as "Modern Music... CD-93" - and switched to a female voiceover. In May 2000, the station moved to NuWave's new radio facility in Monterey, and began using a new music library. "10-in-a-row's" were dropped at this point in favor of a 3-stopset music hour.
All NuWave stations were sold to Mapleton Broadcasting in Spring 2002. After being sold, the station immediately dropped the "Underground Planet" program. The playlist also shifted to a more Hot Adult Contemporary blend, which included current songs by LeAnn Rimes and Jennifer Love Hewitt. The 80's songs also changed to include more Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, and the "80's New-Wave" Saturday night show was subsequently dropped.
In June 2002 (the Friday before Father's Day), longtime DJ's Maverick and Jae Jae were fired to cut costs.
In March 2003, the station moved to 101.7 FM and re-branded itself as "101.7 The Beach... The Best Mix of the 80's, 90's and Today." The calls, however, were not changed.
In 2005, the station began an "All Kinds of Music" promotion to counter the influence of Jack-FM stations. The playlist expanded to include everything from "U Got It Bad" by Usher to "Pour Some Sugar on Me" by Def Leppard. The station also began running the syndicated James McPhee Dream Doctor and John Tesh shows.
In the Fall of 2011, KCDU modified its format slightly to become "Today's Hit Music - 101.7 The Beach;" cutting out all of the 70s, 80s, and 90s music it had broadcast for years. The Beach also moved its syndicated John Tesh Morning show to the new sister station B103.9FM (formerly Classical KBach). The lineup changed as well with the 2010 mid-day addition of the syndicated show "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest." Longtime jock Sybil DeAngelo relocated to a Washington state sister station, leaving Kiwi (2003–present, from the former rock station KMBY/X103.9fm) in afternoons. Promotions Manager Alyson joined the on-air line-up with the evening shift in early 2011, and Casey, who had held a 2-4 shift until Fall 2011, became the new morning show host with the transfer of John Tesh's Radio Program.
On October 19, 2012 KCDU changed their format to contemporary hit radio, still under the "The Beach" branding.
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