ERP 100,000 watts Class C Frequency 93.3 MHz Format Alternative rock Area Phoenix metropolitan area Slogan Where Now Music Begins | HAAT 508 meters (1,667 ft) Facility ID 41299 City of license Mesa Owner Hubbard Broadcasting Branding Alt AZ 93.3 | |
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Broadcast area Phoenix metropolitan area First air date April 20, 1968 (as KMND) | ||
KDKB (93.3 MHz "Alt AZ 93.3") is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting to the Phoenix metropolitan area with its city of license in Mesa, Arizona. It is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. with the license held by Phoenix FCC License Sub, LLC. It airs an Alternative rock radio format. KDKB was the first Album Oriented Rock (AOR) station in the Phoenix media market, and one of the first AOR stations in America. In May 2016 the studio moved from Mesa to Phoenix. Its transmitter is in South Mountain Park.
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History
On October 20, 1968, 93.3 first signed on the air as the sister station to 1510 AM (now KFNN). Originally, the station was KMND, broadcasting an easy listening music format branded as "Command Radio".
On August 23, 1971, the format was changed to Progressive Rock. In many respects, this format was a continuation of the freeform format of KCAC, a daytime-only station that was going bankrupt. According to KDKB co-owner Dwight Tindle, he and KCAC program director, William Edward "Bill" Compton, "invented KDKB" and its air sound. Moreover, Compton and several of KCAC's DJs were hired to staff KDKB.
KDKB-FM's rock format was simulcast on 1510 KDKB (AM). In 1978, the AM simulcast was broken and 1510 changed formats to oldies. The AM call letters were changed to KDJQ "The Golden Rock" with program director Robert M. Chenault and morning DJ Griffin Gary Kinsey (Toad Hall) followed later by Brother Bruce (Bruce Baumbush). In 1986, the format on KDJQ changed to new wave music for a brief time, with John "Johnny D." Dixon as the program director and Jonathan L as assistant program director, music director, and evening personality. 1510 is now broadcasting a Financial/Business News format as KFNN.
Throughout the 1980s, KDKB evolved into more of an adult-leaning direction focusing on the classic rock artists. On September 5, 2006, KDKB began playing full length albums of classic rock artists without the use of any on-air personalities. On September 15, 2006, KDKB returned to its Mainstream Rock format with the new slogan, "93.3 KDKB Everything That Rocks!" including a larger variety of Rock artists along with special programming features including '80s themed weekends.
In mid 2010, the station initiated the slogan, "93.3 KDKB Rocks Arizona!", and retooled the entire on-air lineup. In the fall of 2013, the station changed its lineup and featuring Shmonty & Conklin in the mornings, Ruby Cheeks midday, KDKB's Program Director Paul "Neanderpaul" Marshall in afternoons, Mike Gaube at night. In 2013, Sandusky Radio sold its stations in Phoenix and Seattle to Hubbard Broadcasting, including KDKB.
On September 17, 2014, at 10 am, KDKB dropped its Rock format after 43 years and moved it to its HD2 sub-channel. It then began stunting as "93.3 The Cheese" playing songs by jazz-lounge cover artist Richard Cheese. At Noon, 93.3 flipped to Alternative Rock as "Alt AZ 93.3". The last song on "KDKB" was Living After Midnight by Judas Priest (promoting a November 2014 concert at Gila River Arena by the group), while the first song on "Alt AZ" was Come With Me Now by Paradise Valley-founded band KONGOS. This move is to let Hubbard keeping their "Wall of Rock" intact, while eliminating all overlaps between KDKB and sisters Classic Rock KSLX-FM and Active Rock KUPD.
HD radio
KDKB's HD Radio signal is multiplexed. The main signal AIRS KDKB's alternative rock programming. The second channel carried KDUS "The Fan", a valley AM sports talk radio station until June 21, 2012 when KDUS was replaced by KAZG "Arizona Gold", a co-owned oldies station that broadcasts on 1440 AM. On September 17, 2014, when KDKB's main signal flipped to alternative rock, their previous rock format moved to the HD2 subchannel. KDKB's HD2 sub-channel later switched back to a simulcast of KAZG.