WIQI
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| City of license | Chicago, Illinois |
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| Broadcast area | Chicago, Illinois |
| Branding | FM News 101.1 |
| Slogan | "Chicago's Non-Stop News Station" |
| Frequency | 101.1 FM (MHz) (also on HD Radio) |
| Format | HD1: All news radio HD2: WorldBand Media (South Asian Radio) |
| ERP | 5,700 watts |
| HAAT | 425 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 19525 |
| Callsign meaning | "IQI" stands for the station's 101 FM frequency |
| Former callsigns | WMAQ-FM (?-1973) WJOI (1973–1975) WNIS-FM (1975–1977) WKQX (1977-7/2011) WWWN (7/2011-12/2011) |
| Owner | Merlin Media, LLC (Merlin Media License, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WLUP-FM |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | FMNewsChicago.com |
WIQI (101.1 FM) is a radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area. The station is owned and operated by Merlin Media, LLC, who has programmed an all-news radio format on the station since July 29, 2011. WIQI also airs South Asian-oriented programming from WorldBand Media on its HD Radio subchannel (101.1-HD2).
Contents |
[edit] Station History
[edit] The NBC years
101.1 FM 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, that, while the X stood for "eXperimental," had 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 independent music scene in Chicago. Some of these shows included 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 played the Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, Eminem and Fort Minor.
[edit] "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, as that station flipped 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.
On September 18, 2006, Q101 would launch The Morning Fix, a tightly-formatted ensemble morning show that 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's Weekend Update. The ensemble cast, led by former WXDX/Pittsburgh personality Alan Cox, was a mix of experienced radio personalities, comedy actors and writers.[1] However, on November 9, 2007 The Morning Fix underwent major changes when it was decided that morning airtime would be more wisely used playing music; the changes resulted in only 2 of the shows' original 6 members remaining, Alan Cox and Jim "Jesus" Lynam.[2]
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 from afternoons to the morning slot,[1] with Alex Quigley replacing them as afternoon host.
[edit] Image Change
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 during these times, no classic rock (except for alternative-based classic rock) was played. 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 reverted back to classic rock.
[edit] Q101 Live Music Festivals
During its tenure as an alternative rock station, WKQX served as host to several music festivals and events, including the following:
[edit] Twisted
Twisted was an annual music festival each December, the first being in 1994.
Twisted Christmas – Bad Religion, Killing Joke, Dinosaur Jr., Veruca Salt, Weezer, and Hole.
Twisted 2 – Alanis Morissette, Porno For Pyros, White Zombie, Oasis, Silverchair, Tripping Daisy, Goo Goo Dolls, Soul Asylum
Twisted 3 – Fiona Apple, Bloodhound Gang, Sheryl Crow, Gravity Kills, KoRn, Stabbing Westward, The Violent Femmes, The Wallflowers, Weezer
Twisted 4 – 311, Björk (cancelled), Chumbawamba, The Cure, Duran Duran, Everclear, Sarah MacLachlan, Sugar Ray
Twisted 5 – Beck, Cake, Everlast, Garbage, Goo Goo Dolls, Soul Coughing, Third Eye Blind
Twisted 6 – Fiona Apple, Blink-182, Bush, The Chemical Brothers, Filter, Foo Fighters, Moby, Oasis, Run DMC
Twisted 7 – Cypress Hill, Deftones, Disturbed, Everlast, Incubus, Live, The Offspring, Orgy, Papa Roach
Twisted 8 – 311, Alien Ant Farm, Blink-182, Bush, The Crystal Method, Puddle of Mudd, Sum 41, Pete Yorn
Twisted 9 – 3 Doors Down, Box Car Racer, Disturbed, Jimmy Eat World, Local H, Moby (cancelled), Public Enemy, Sugarcult, The Vines
Twisted 10 – 311, AFI, Dashboard Confessional, Jane's Addiction, KoRn
Twisted 11 – Califone, Franz Ferdinand, The Hives, Modest Mouse, My Chemical Romance, Secret Machines, Snow Patrol, Taking Back Sunday, The Used
Twisted 12 – The All-American Rejects, Coheed and Cambria, Death Cab For Cutie, Fall Out Boy, Hot Hot Heat, The Lovehammers, O.A.R., The Psychedelic Furs
Twisted 13 – Disturbed, Flyleaf, Guster, Gym Class Heroes, Jet, My Chemical Romance, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Rise Against, Stone Sour
Twisted 14 – The Almost, Atreyu, Drowning Pool, (Cancelled, Replaced by Danger is My Middle Name), Coheed and Cambria, The Secret Handshake, Silverchair, Silversun Pickups, The Starting Line, Strata
Twisted 15 – Theory of a Deadman, Hollywood Undead, Saliva, Shinedown, Saving Abel, The Gaslight Anthem, Scott Weiland, Cold War Kids, Eagles of Death Metal
Twisted 2009 – AM Taxi, As Tall As Lions, The Bravery, Breaking Benjamin, Halestorm, Janus, Manchester Orchestra, Rev Theory, Rise Against, Shinedown, Sick Puppies, Street Sweeper Social Club, Thirty Seconds To Mars, The Used
Twisted 2010 – Alter Bridge, Bad City, Cake, Chevelle, Danko Jones, Finger Eleven, Five Finger Death Punch, Greek Fire, Hail the Villain, Hellyeah, Middle Class Rut, My Chemical Romance, Sick Puppies
[edit] Jamboree
Q101 also hosted an annual outdoor music festival during the summer entitled "Jamboree".
1995 – Bush, Collective Soul, Sheryl Crow, Duran Duran, Faith No More, The Flaming Lips, KMFDM, The Lupins, Phunk Junkeez, Sponge, The Stone Roses
1996 – Afghan Whigs, Candlebox, Cracker, Cypress Hill, Everclear, Filter, Foo Fighters, Garbage, Girls Against Boys, KoRn, No Doubt, Seven Mary Three, Stabbing Westward
1997 – Beck, The Cardigans, Echo & the Bunnymen, Erasure, Jamiroquai, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Moby, Republica, Social Distortion, Veruca Salt, Verve Pipe
1998 – Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds Five, Creed, Eve 6, Fastball, Foo Fighters, Harvey Danger, Soul Asylum, Spacehog, The Specials, They Might Be Giants, Scott Weiland
1999 – 2 Skinnee J's, Blink-182, Blondie, The Flys, Hole, Kottonmouth Kings, Lit, Local H, The Offspring, Orgy, Puya, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Silverchair
2000 – 311, Bloodhound Gang, Everclear, Eve 6, Goldfinger, Long Beach Dub All Stars, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Moby, The Suicide Machines, Third Eye Blind, Travis
2001 – Alien Ant Farm, Cold, Crazy Town, Disturbed, From Zero, Fuel, Linkin Park, Lucky Boys Confusion, Monster Magnet, Papa Roach, Run-D.M.C., Saliva, Staind
2002 – Dashboard Confessional, Earshot, Hoobastank, Kid Rock, Local H, Our Lady Peace, Quarashi, The Strokes, Tenacious D, Thursday, Trik Turner, Unwritten Law, X-Ecutioners, Zwan
2010 – AM Taxi, Coheed & Cambria, Crash Kings, Flobots, The Frantic, Hollywood Undead, Janus, Papa Roach, Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Seether, Story of the Year, Three Days Grace, Ok Go, Villain vs. Villain, David Costa
2011 – Part I – 30 Seconds To Mars, Seether, Papa Roach, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Bayside (set cancelled due to storm), Crash Kings (set cancelled due to storm), Pop Evil (set cut short by storm), Adelitas Way, Greek Fire, Anberlin, Awolnation, Sum 41, Ed Kowalczyk of Live, Beyond Words, The Action Blast, Imperial Sons
2011 – Part II – Part II was reported cancelled by Q101's Twitter page on August 29, 2011. They have also stated that they are "re-loading" and "jamboree will be back"
[edit] Block Party
Beginning in 2003, Q101's summer music festival was rebranded as "Block Party." From 2003–2005, the event was held at the New City YMCA (North & Halsted). In 2006 & 2007, the event moved to Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island. For 2008, the festival was held at Western and Roscoe (near Lane Tech High School & DeVry University.) Day 1 of 2008 Block Party was cancelled due to excessive flooding of the stage and viewing areas. Some day 1 bands vounteered to play a free set at the nearby Cubby Bear bar on Clark & Addison. Day 2 went on as scheduled, but with the headlining acts playing on what was supposed to be the local band stage. The local bands scheduled for day 2 were cancelled as a result. The 2009 Block Party returned to Charter One Pavilion. In 2010, Q101 returned to the Jamboree name for their summer festival.
2003 – The Flaming Lips, The Violent Femmes
2004 – Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Lovehammers, The Ponys, The Reputation, The Walkmen
2005 – 30 Seconds To Mars, A Static Lullaby, Assassins, Hot Hot Heat, Interpol, Rise Against, Sum 41, Queens of the Stone Age, Unwritten Law
2006 – Angels and Airwaves, Head Automatica, The Subways, Taking Back Sunday
2007 – The Bravery, Buckcherry, Finger Eleven, Godsmack, Good Charlotte, Shiny Toy Guns, Sum 41, Taproot, The Violent Femmes
2008 – Absentstar (cancelled), American Taxi (cancelled), Apocalyptica, Atreyu, The Attraction (cancelled), Black Tide (cancelled), Bullet For My Valentine, Danger Is My Middle Name (cancelled), DJ Alex Rage (cancelled), DJ Merk 1 (cancelled), The Frantic (cancelled), Holding Mercury (moved to Cubby Bear), Honey (moved to Cubby Bear), The Lifeline (moved to Cubby Bear), Local H, Ludo (moved to Cubby Bear), Mindless Self Indulgence (cancelled), Munroe (moved to Cubby Bear), Pennywise, Rule 22 (cancelled), Sick Puppies (moved to Cubby Bear), Simplistic Urge (cancelled), Theory of a Deadman (cancelled), Tonight the Prom (cancelled)
2009 – 311, Ziggy Marley
[edit] Sale to Merlin Media and conversion to all-news
On June 21, 2011, Emmis announced that it would sell WKQX, sister station WLUP-FM, and New York's WRXP to Merlin Media, a group headed by former Tribune Company executive Randy Michaels. Emmis, who would retain a minority stake in Merlin Media, would grant Merlin a local marketing agreement to operate WKQX and WLUP-FM from July 15 until the sale officially closed on September 1.[3] A format flip for WKQX, from alternative rock to all-news, was rumored after the sale was announced[4] (Michaels was on record as saying that "my favorite format has always been spoken radio" and that it should have a place on FM, "the [radio] band most people use").[5][6]
The Staff of Q101, who had been dismissed by Merlin Media,[7] would write on their Facebook page on July 14, 2011 that "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."[8] That same night, it was announced that Broadcast Barter Radio Networks had purchased the Q101 brand and all related intellectual properties, including the Q101.com domain name (which were not part of the sale to Merlin Media).[9] 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 internet station.
Q101's final on-air staffed show, Local 101, concluded at approximately 1:01AM on July 15, 2011; the program ended with The Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight", The Cure's "Friday I'm in Love" (the first song played at Q101's 1992 inception as an alternative station), and formal goodbyes by Chris Payne, Pogo, and other Q101 staffers. Q101 would continue without on-air staffing until midnight on July 19, 2011, after "Closing Time" by Semisonic had played; afterwards, WKQX switched from alternative rock to a stunt of adult contemporary music under the temporary branding "101.1 FM New," which featured former "Murphy in the Morning" host Robert Murphy, who returned to the 101.1FM frequency after 19 years to man the 5-10AM shift until the full format switch took place. The stunting also included hourly news updates using an assortment of newsreader combinations, a harbinger of the new format to come.[10]
On July 21, 2011, WKQX changed its call letters to WWWN,[11] a call sign moved from a silent signal in Watseka, Illinois owned by Merlin Media CEO Randy Michaels through Radioactive LLC (the Watseka signal was assigned the WKQX calls).[12][13][14] Eight days after the call letter change, on July 29, WWWN ended the adult contemporary stunt and launched an all-news format branded as "FM News 101.1." The switch to all-news was a harkening back to the station's 1975–1977 tenure with NBC's News and Information Service, and was regarded as a move targeting Chicago's longtime all-news stalwart, CBS-owned WBBM, which on August 1 added a FM simulcast on WCFS-FM to counter WWWN.[5]
Since its formal launch, "FM News 101.1" has sought to differentiate itself from main competitor WBBM in 3 ways: It has emphasized its continuous round-the-clock news presence (whereas WBBM has other commitments on its schedule, notably Chicago Bears broadcasts); its news delivery approach has been looser, personality-driven, and more conversational in tone (as opposed to WBBM's more-polished, staccato-like delivery); and its news content has been geared toward the younger, female audience that traditionally listens to FM radio, with an emphasis on lifestyle, health, and entertainment features. The initial on-air and newsroom staff at "FM News 101.1" has included several with Chicago radio ties, with marquis names including Debra Dale and Jennifer O'Neill (both WBBM alumna), Brant Miller and Monica DeSantis (WLS alums), and Ed Curran and Rob Hart (WGN alums).[15]
The ratings for "FM News 101.1" have been generally abysmal since its debut, with the station's share of the Chicago radio audience in the 0.2 to 0.3 range.[16] Merlin Media head Randy Michaels has admitted that the early months of WWWN (as well as its New York sister station, WEMP, which underwent a similar rock-to-news transformation at the same time) had been a work in progress.[17] To that end, "FM News 101.1" would take the listener feedback it received and begin to adjust its approach by October 2011, changes meant to increase and broaden its audience, become not as female-centric, and institute a more professional sound to the station. The changes included an increase in sports and financial updates; a set schedule of anchor teams (multiple anchor combinations were used previously);[18] and, in January 2012, the "informal" testing of a news partnership with WMAQ-TV.[19] In addition, the station's call sign was changed again in December 2011, from WWWN to WIQI, to reflect the station's 101.1 FM frequency and provide a nod to the old WKQX calls.[20]
[edit] References
- ^ "Q101 unveils Mancow-free morning cast," from Chicago Sun-Times, 8/31/2006 (via free-press-release.com)
- ^ "'Fix' is finished," from Chicago Sun-Times, 11/9/2007
- ^ "Merlin Media Officially Owns WLUP & WWWN," from Chicagoland Radio Media, 9/2/2011
- ^ Feder, Robert (June 21, 2011). "Q101, Loop deal blows Randy Michaels back into radio business". Time Out Chicago. http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/chicago-media-blog/14821755/q101-loop-deal-blows-randy-michaels-back-into-radio-busines. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
- ^ a b "Merlin Media launches Chicago's first all-news FM station," from Chicago Tribune, 7/31/2011
- ^ "Merlin Formally Launches FM News 101.9 In New York," from FMQB, 8/15/2011
- ^ "New Q101 is about to take listeners for a ride," from the Robert Feder blog at Time Out Chicago, 7/13/2011
- ^ Q101 – "Regardless of what..." status on Facebook (posted July 14, 2011)
- ^ "Q101's Past, Present & Future To Continue Online At New Q101.com," from Chicagoland Radio & Media (posted & accessed July 14, 2011)
- ^ "Merlin's WWWN/Chicago Flips To All-News," from All Access, 7/29/2011
- ^ "Call Sign History (WWWN)". http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=19525&Callsign=WWWN. Retrieved 2011-0-25.
- ^ "Call Sign History (WKQX)". http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=164237&Callsign=WKQX. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
- ^ "FM Query Results (WKQX)". http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WKQX. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
- ^ "101.1 FM Changes Call Letters To WWWN-FM". Chicagoland Radio and Media. 2011-07-21. http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/1792-1011-fm-changes-call-letters-to-wwwn-fm. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
- ^ Source: News Release from Merlin Media dated 7/31/2011
- ^ Channick, Robert (October 5, 2011). "FM News 101.1 finds meager audience, early ratings show". Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-05/business/ct-biz-1005-fm-news-20111005_1_merlin-media-fm-news-randy-michaels. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
- ^ "Randy Michaels: 'We Are Learning and Un-Learning," interview teaser from Radio Ink, 10/10/2011
- ^ "News wars: Randy's still searching for some Merlin magic," from the Robert Feder blog on Time Out Chicago, 10/13/2011
- ^ "NBC 5 testing partnership with Merlin's FM News," from the Robert Feder blog on Time Out Chicago, 1/23/2012
- ^ "FM News 101.1 To Change Station Call Letters Again". Chicagoland Radio and Media. November 30, 2011. http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/2118-fm-news-1011-to-change-station-call-letters-again. Retrieved December 2, 2011.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- FM News 101.1 on Facebook
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WIQI
- Radio-Locator information on WIQI
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for WIQI
- List of Q101 Countdowns
- Q101 Top 101 Countdowns plus a searchable archive
- Scott Childers on WMAQ History (Relevant to WMAQ-FM and eventually WKQX)
- Audio clip of WKQX ending
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