KWAV

KWAV is a commercial radio station in Monterey, California, broadcasting to the Santa Cruz-Monterey-Salinas, California, area on 96.9 FM. Its studios are in Monterey while its transmitter is located on Mount Toro, south of Salinas. KWAV is a Class B FM radio station with a higher power than would be granted under the present U.S. Federal Communications Commission rules; it is often referred as a "Superpower" Grandfathered Class B.

KWAV airs an adult contemporary music format branded as "K-Wave 96.9".

History, 1994-present

In the mid-1990s, 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, Carrie Underwood, 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.