WKQX FM 101.1

A commercial alternative rock station operating at 101.1 FM and owned by Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts to the Chicago metropolitan area under the long-established "Q101" brand. Its studios are situated in the NBC Tower, with transmission equipment mounted atop the John Hancock Center. Alongside its primary analog signal, the station operates two HD Radio channels, the second of which carries a classic rock format branded as "The Loop," a lineage previously associated with the former WLUP at 97.9 FM. The station has a history stretching back to October 1948, when it signed on as WMAQ-FM under NBC ownership, broadcasting from studios in the Merchandise Mart. For decades it operated largely as a simulcast of WMAQ before adopting an alternative rock identity in 1992 under the Q101 name. A 2011 sale to Merlin Media resulted in the loss of the Q101 brand and a format switch to all-news, then adult contemporary. Cumulus Media entered a local marketing agreement in 2014 and restored the alternative format under the WKQX call letters. On May 3, 2022, Cumulus reacquired the Q101 trademarks and the station returned to its well-known branding. Programming reflects the alternative rock genre, drawing from artists across the format's history, including classic and contemporary acts. The station has a tradition of local and national concert promotion and audience engagement.