Document:

<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.17

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                     CHANGE OF CONTROL EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     This First Amendment to the Change of Control Employment Agreement dated as
of June 28, 2004 (the "Change of Control Employment Agreement") between Belden
Inc. (the "Company") and Robert W. Matz is entered into as of June 28, 2004.

1. This Amendment shall become effective on the Effective Time (as defined in an
Agreement and Plan of Merger, as amended, (the "Merger Agreement"), dated
February 4, 2004 by and among the Company, BC Merger Corp. and Cable Design
Technologies Corporation ("CDT")); provided, however, that if the Effective Time
does not occur, this Amendment shall be null and void ab initio. This Amendment
shall also be null and void ab initio in the event the Company fails to satisfy
its obligations under that certain Retention and Integration Award letter
agreement entered into between the Executive and the Company on June 28, 2004

2. Section 1.5 of the Change of Control Employment Agreement is hereby amended
by adding the following at the end of such section to read as follows:

     Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the consummation of the
     transactions contemplated by Merger Agreement shall constitute a Change of
     Control under this Agreement (the "Belden-CDT Merger").

3. Clause (v) of Section 1.10 of the Change of Control Employment Agreement is
hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

     (v) any voluntary termination of employment by the Executive where the
     Notice of Termination is delivered within 30 days of the first anniversary
     of a Change of Control; provided, however, that this clause (v) may not be
     invoked for any Change of Control of the Company that results solely from
     the Belden-CDT Merger.

4. The Change of Control Employment Agreement is hereby amended by adding the
following new Section 26 to read as follows:

     26. ASSUMPTION. At the Effective Time, (i) CDT shall automatically and
     without any further action on behalf of any party unconditionally assume
     all of the obligations of Belden Inc. under this Agreement as the primary
     obligor and (ii) references herein to the "Company" shall be deemed
     references to CDT.

<PAGE>

5. Capitalized terms used herein, unless otherwise defined herein, have the
meaning ascribed to such terms in the Change of Control Employment Agreement
and, except as expressly provided herein all provision of the Change of Control
Employment Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date
and year first above written.

                                        BELDEN INC.

                                        By: /s/ C. Baker Cunningham
                                            -------------------------
                                        C. Baker Cunningham

                                        Executive: /s/ Robert W. Matz
                                                   -------------------------
                                                   Robert W. Matz

Acknowledged and agreed with respect to Section 26

CABLE DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

/s/ C. Baker Cunningham
-----------------------

                                       2<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.18

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                     CHANGE OF CONTROL EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

     This First Amendment to the Change of Control Employment Agreement dated as
of June 28, 2004 (the "Change of Control Employment Agreement") between Belden
Inc. (the "Company") and Stephen H. Johnson is entered into as of June 28, 2004.

1. This Amendment shall become effective on the Effective Time (as defined in an
Agreement and Plan of Merger, as amended, (the "Merger Agreement"), dated
February 4, 2004 by and among the Company, BC Merger Corp. and Cable Design
Technologies Corporation ("CDT")); provided, however, that if the Effective Time
does not occur, this Amendment shall be null and void ab initio. This Amendment
shall also be null and void ab initio in the event the Company fails to satisfy
its obligations under that certain Retention and Integration Award letter
agreement entered into between the Executive and the Company on June 28, 2004

2. Section 1.5 of the Change of Control Employment Agreement is hereby amended
by adding the following at the end of such section to read as follows:

     Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the consummation of the
     transactions contemplated by Merger Agreement shall constitute a Change of
     Control under this Agreement (the "Belden-CDT Merger").

3. Clause (v) of Section 1.10 of the Change of Control Employment Agreement is
hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

     (v) any voluntary termination of employment by the Executive where the
     Notice of Termination is delivered within 30 days of the first anniversary
     of a Change of Control; provided, however, that this clause (v) may not be
     invoked for any Change of Control of the Company that results solely from
     the Belden-CDT Merger.

4. The Change of Control Employment Agreement is hereby amended by adding the
following new Section 26 to read as follows:

     26. ASSUMPTION. At the Effective Time, (i) CDT shall automatically and
     without any further action on behalf of any party unconditionally assume
     all of the obligations of Belden Inc. under this Agreement as the primary
     obligor and (ii) references herein to the "Company" shall be deemed
     references to CDT.

<PAGE>

5. Capitalized terms used herein, unless otherwise defined herein, have the
meaning ascribed to such terms in the Change of Control Employment Agreement
and, except as expressly provided herein all provision of the Change of Control
Employment Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date
and year first above written.

                                        BELDEN INC.

                                        By: /s/ C. Baker Cunningham
                                            -----------------------------------
                                            C. Baker Cunningham

                                        Executive: /s/ Stephen H. Johnson
                                                   ----------------------------
                                                   Stephen H. Johnson

Acknowledged and agreed with respect to Section 26

CABLE DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

/s/ C. Baker Cunningham
-----------------------

                                       2<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.19

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                     CHANGE OF CONTROL EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

         This First Amendment to the Change of Control Employment Agreement
dated as of June 28, 2004 (the "Change of Control Employment Agreement") between
Belden Inc. (the "Company") and Cathy O. Staples is entered into as of June 28,
2004.

1.       This Amendment shall become effective on the Effective Time (as
defined in an Agreement and Plan of Merger, as amended, (the "Merger
Agreement"), dated February 4, 2004 by and among the Company, BC Merger Corp.
and Cable Design Technologies Corporation ("CDT")); provided, however, that if
the Effective Time does not occur, this Amendment shall be null and void ab
initio. This Amendment shall also be null and void ab initio in the event the
Company fails to satisfy its obligations under that certain Retention and
Integration Award letter agreement entered into between the Executive and the
Company on June 28, 2004

2.       Section 1.5 of the Change of Control Employment Agreement is hereby
amended by adding the following at the end of such section to read as follows:

         Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the consummation of
         the transactions contemplated by Merger Agreement shall constitute a
         Change of Control under this Agreement (the "Belden-CDT Merger").

3.       Clause (v) of Section 1.10 of the Change of Control Employment
Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

         (v) any voluntary termination of employment by the Executive where the
         Notice of Termination is delivered within 30 days of the first
         anniversary of a Change of Control; provided, however, that this clause
         (v) may not be invoked for any Change of Control of the Company that
         results solely from the Belden-CDT Merger.

4.       The Change of Control Employment Agreement is hereby amended by adding
the following new Section 26 to read as follows:

         26. ASSUMPTION. At the Effective Time, (i) CDT shall automatically and
         without any further action on behalf of any party unconditionally
         assume all of the obligations of Belden Inc. under this Agreement as
         the primary obligor and (ii) references herein to the "Company" shall
         be deemed references to CDT.

<PAGE>

5.       Capitalized terms used herein, unless otherwise defined herein, have
the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Change of Control Employment Agreement
and, except as expressly provided herein all provision of the Change of Control
Employment Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the
date and year first above written.

                           BELDEN INC.

                           By: /s/ C. Baker Cunningham
                              ------------------------
                              C. Baker Cunningham

                           Executive:  /s/ Cathy O. Staples
                                     ----------------------
                                     Cathy O. Staples

Acknowledged and agreed with respect to Section 26

CABLE DESIGN TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION

/s/ C. Baker Cunningham
----------------------

                                        2

Source: [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00074-of-00352.parquet"}, [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00074-of-00352.parquet"}], [{"source": "alea-institute/alea-institute/kl3m-data-edgar-agreements/train-00074-of-00352.parquet"}]]