WKQX (FM)
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| City | Chicago, Illinois |
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| Broadcast area | Chicago market |
| Branding | 101 WKQX |
| Slogan | "The New Home For Alternative" |
| Frequency | 101.1 FM (MHz) (also on HD Radio) |
| First air date | 1948 (as WMAQ-FM) |
| Format | Alternative Rock |
| Audience share | 2.3 (Holiday 2016, Nielsen Audio[1]) |
| ERP | 5,700 watts |
| HAAT | 425 meters (1,394 ft) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 19525 |
| Callsign meaning | First used for the station's "experimental" AOR format in the 1970s, and the Q in WMAQ |
| Former callsigns | WMAQ-FM (1948–1973) WJOI (1973–1975) WNIS-FM (1975–1977) WKQX (1977-7/2011) WWWN (7/2011-12/2011) WIQI (12/2011-1/2014) |
| Owner | Merlin Media, LLC (Operated by Cumulus Media via LMA) (Merlin Media License, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WLS, WLS-FM, WLUP-FM |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www |
WKQX (101.1 FM) – branded 101 WKQX – is a radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area. The station is owned by Merlin Media, LLC and operated by Cumulus Media under a local marketing agreement announced in January 2014.
A former NBC Radio owned-and-operated station, WKQX is best known for carrying a long-running alternative rock format from 1992 until 2011 as "Q101." WKQX aired an alternative rock music format that originated on the former WKQX-LP (87.7 FM, or LPTV channel 6) from 2012 until 2014.
From 2001 to 2016, WKQX's studios were co-located with sister station WLUP in the Merchandise Mart; the station is expected to relocate to NBC Tower by summer 2016. Its transmitter is located atop the John Hancock Center.
WKQX broadcasts two channels in the HD Radio format.
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 1974, WMAQ-FM changed call letters to WJOI, and adopted 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 (the "X" stood for "eXperimental"), which played 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, who later created MTV and is now CEO of Clear Channel Communications. 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. It broadcast commercial-free for the first two months of the format.
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