User:Compro16/Q101.com

Q101.com is an Internet radio stream based out of Chicago, featuring an alternative rock format. Q101.com and all of the Q101 branding and intellectual property was sold by Emmis Communications to Broadcast Barter Radio Networks, as this was not a part of the sale of WKQX/101.1 FM to Merlin Media, LLC.

Q101.com continues where Q101 left off, streaming "Chicago's Alternative" 24/7. There is currently no on-air talent, but as per the Q101.com website, there are talks in progress with all of the former Q101/WKQX DJ's in an attempt to bring their shows and personalities back to the online stream. The offer is also extended to all sales and promotion staff as well.

The NBC years
WKQX was originally WMAQ-FM, co-owned by NBC with WMAQ. WMAQ-FM generally simulcast the AM station, eventually developing its own format. In 1973 WMAQ-FM switched to WJOI with an adult contemporary format. In late 1975 the station again changed call letters and format to WNIS-FM, carrying the NBC radio network's all news radio News and Information Service, which failed to compete against news stalwart WBBM. In 1977 the station repositioned itself as WKQX, with an album oriented rock format that was more adventurous than WDAI but more accessible than WXRT. The program director and midday host was Bob Pittman, Bob Heymann served as assistant program director and morning drive host, and Bob King was the Music Director. Mitch Michaels did afternoon drive and Lorna Ozmon did nights.

The station was an immediate success, debuting with a 3.9 AQH M-S 6AM to 12M 12 + share in the 1977 January-February Arbitron ratings. In the Spring of 1977, Chicago gained another AOR station, WLUP. This meant that there were four FM rock stations (WKQX, WXRT, WDAI, and WLUP) competing against each other. After almost two years of battling for ratings, both WDAI and WKQX coincidentally quit playing rock independently of one another at the end of 1978. WDAI became all disco and WKQX became an adult contemporary station playing '70s, along with then-current product.

Emmis Communications purchases WKQX
By the mid-1980s, the station had evolved into a Hot AC format, dropping the '60s music by 1988, and were known on-air as “Q101”. At that point, NBC had divested of all of their radio stations, with Emmis Communications becoming a major benefactor of several of NBC’s FM stations. WKQX was now an Emmis station. Robert Murphy was the successful morning drive host on Q101, competing with the likes of WLUP’s Jonathon Brandmeier. The station's slogan in the mid-late '80s was "Today's Music". By 1989, WKQX evolved into an adult Top 40 station, and by 1991 it had transitioned to a Modern AC format, preceding WTMX.

Change to Alternative Music
Q101 continued to evolve and, by 1992, WKQX was a pure alternative rock station. Program Director Bill Gamble used KROQ in L.A. as a model for the format change. Much of the input for the music playlists came from the staff of the music research department at Q101. It was the music research department, led by Mary Shuminus, that gave Gamble the "word on the street" of what was hot in the Alternative Rock world. It was this staff between 1990-1994 that helped mold the radio station. Q101 did have trouble finding talent that could be hip and know the alternative market. They failed to mold Robert Murphy, and his contract was not renewed. Then they hired former MTV VJ Mark Goodman but that did not bring Emmis the ratings they wanted in the morning drive. In the mid 90's Q101 morning show saw many hosts but not till 1998 did they sign Mancow Muller's morning show away from the now-defunct WRCX (Rock 103.5), and Mancow began to syndicate the show. The station helped launch the career of Chicago acts Disturbed and Fall Out Boy, particularly through their prominent local music show, Local 101.

During the alternative era, Q101 was home to many popular specialty shows that helped to foster the thriving indi-music scene in Chicago. Some of these shows include Zoltar's Industrial Zone, Local 101 (hosted by Chris Payne), and Q101 Sonic Boom (produced by Joey Swanson and Kenny Techstepper).

Q101 has also been known to occasionally play songs from the hip-hop genre featuring Chicago-native artists such as Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco. They also play the Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, Eminem and Fort Minor.

"On Shuffle"
On April 1, 2005, WKQX went completely "on shuffle." While not a format change per se, it was the largest shift in the station's format since they became an alternative station. Instead of focusing on new music solely, they expanded their playlist to include classic alternative rock from the '80s and '90s, and even '70s artists like the Sex Pistols, Bob Marley, and The Clash. The new slogan for the station became “Everything Alternative”. In on-air liners, they even apologized for the hard rock excesses of the past when they competed with WZZN (AKA 94.7 The Zone). The "Q101 On Shuffle" approach extended throughout the summer.

As of September 26, 2005, WZZN was no longer a direct competitor, flipping to an oldies format.

The “Summer of Shuffle” returned for Summer 2006. Mancow was dropped by the station on July 14, 2006. Q101 felt they had lost control of their morning slot and desired a more Chicago-oriented show that blended better with their format, in contrast to the syndicated feel of “Mancow’s Morning Madhouse".

The Morning Fix, an ensemble morning show led by Alan Cox (formerly of WXDX in Pittsburgh) debuted on September 18, 2006. The tightly-formatted show included fixed elements such as news, sports, weather, traffic, interviews, parodies and other bits presented in a manner similar to that of a news radio "clock" approach combined with the approach of popular comedy shows such as 'The Daily Show,' 'The Colbert Report,' and 'Saturday Night Live'. The ensemble cast was a mix of experienced radio personalities, comedy actors and writers. However, on November 9, 2007 the show underwent major changes when it was decided that morning airtime would be more wisely used playing music. Only two of the original six members remained: Alan Cox and Jim "Jesus" Lynam..

In the Fall rating period, released in early 2007, the Arbitron Media Research Group reported that WKQX-FM/Q101 slipped from a 1.8 share to a 1.2 (M-S, 6A-12M, AQH metro 12+). Consequently, the show dropped Alan Cox and Jim Lynam on August 1, 2008 and moved Sherman and Tingle to the morning slot. WKQX hired Alex Quigley as an afternoon host.

Image Change
left|thumb|Q101 logo, 2007 In November 2007, Q101 changed their slogan from "Q101 Everything Alternative" to "Q101.1 Chicago's Alternative". The logo changed as well with the added ".1" (as part of an industry trend to sound out the entire frequency for the sake of digital tuning radios, which have begun to overtake radios with needle tuners), beginning to lean towards an active rock direction with harder artists such as Pantera, Bullet For My Valentine and Metallica added to the playlist, ever since WZZN flipped to oldies, because their "shuffle" format had poor ratings. Despite their active rock lean nowadays, no classic rock (except for alternative-based classic rock) is played still. Adult album alternative artists not played on the alternative chart today such as Counting Crows, Gin Blossoms and Alanis Morissette (with only their songs from the '90s) were dropped, despite competitor WXRT playing those artists.

In 2009, the station was rebranded again as Q101 (dropping the .1). As of 2011, Q101 began adding more newer hard rock that used to belong on sister station WLUP-FM since WLUP-FM reverted back to classic rock.

Sale and Move To Internet Radio
On June 21, Emmis announced that it would sell WKQX and WLUP-FM, along with WRXP in New York City, to Merlin Media, a group headed by Randy Michaels (though Emmis will retain a minority stake in Merlin); when the sale is completed, WKQX is expected to change its format back to all-news, once again competing with WBBM.

On July 14, 2011, the staff of Q101 wrote on their Facebook page, "Regardless of what happens to Q101 at 101.1FM, know that Q101 will live on at Q101.com. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week you'll still be able to hear Chicago's Alternative, Q101 at Q101.com." July 14, 2011 was the final day of the old format over terrestrial radio. The entire on air-staff was let go. That same night, it was announced that Broadcast Barter Radio Networks had purchased the Q101 brand and all related intellectual properties (which were not part of the sale to Merlin Media). Initially, the internet Q101 will have the same music programming as Emmis alternative station KROX-FM in Austin, Texas, but commercial-free and with no DJs. The plan in the future is to relaunch the station as a locally focused and programmed alternative rock station.

On July 15, 2011 at approximately 1:01am, Q101's final show, Local 101, ended with the song "Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins; before saying goodbye, Chris Payne, Pogo and others in the studio bid farewell by playing "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure, which was the first song played at Q101's inception. The station then shifted to temporary alternative rock programming without DJs.

At Midnight on July 19, after playing "Closing Time" by Semisonic, Q101 switched to a stunt of Adult Contemporary music as "101.1 FM New." After 19 years, Robert Murphy "Murphy in the Morning" returned to the station, and will be on from 5-10am until the full switch takes place to news/talk. Q101.com's online stream continues on as its own entity, playing Chicago's Alternative 24/7.