7/15/2011
This may take a little explaining as to how things will shake out but here are the details about how alternative rocker Q101 in Chicago will continue on the Internet. The owners of Broadcast Barter Radio Networks - also known as the "Save The Loop" organizers - have purchased the Q101 intellectual property and social media assets from Emmis not picked up by Merlin. They will take possession of the station website, all the stations music and video logs and the entire Q101 brand. However, there may be some confusion for listeners at this point.
As of early this morning www.q101.com was telling listeners that the station will live on at 97.9 HD-2. Not sure how that will work because according to the "Save The Loopers" Q101 will only be an Internet station. According to Emmis, they paid a fee and now own the "Q" brand. Perhaps the music will live on but the station will have to be called something else.
Mike Noonan and Matt Dubiel say the agreement "saves Chicago?s heritage alternative rock station from the scrap heap and ensures the station will live online and via mobile distribution." BBRN is also reaching out to Q101 jocks, both and past and present to discuss putting them on the Internet only station. Merlin is expected to dump the alternative rock station for another format. Speculation is news, new talk or some other form of spoken word but Randy Michaels told a Chicago newspaper today that will not happen by August 1st. Merlin began the LMA of its two recent Emmis/Chicago acquisitions WLUP and WKQX today.
Dubiel says they will be broadcasting the Q101 signal from an Emmis facility in Austin until they can find a home for the station in Chicago. Dubiel told Radio Ink "This is the future. By 2015, radio signals will be irrelevant. People will have radio's on them in their mobile devices." Right now, the Q101 app is .99 but Dubiel says they will offer the app for free and they will also offer some free advertising to Q101's hertiage partners."
Noonan said, ?We couldn?t stand to watch this tremendously important Chicago brand, with all of its history and the impact it?s had on this city, the radio business, and the music industry, simply go by the wayside be thrown in the Merchandise Mart dumpster. Today is a great day for alternative music fans and Q101 listeners! Advertisers are going to love the opportunities we have with this brand and Q101.com?s reach and performance."
Dubiel said, ?I remember the first time I heard Nirvana. It was on Q101. Q101 is where I got my first paycheck in radio. It?s an emotional time for anyone who?s ever been involved with Q101, and we have a standing offer to the Talent and sales staff to join us at Q101.com! We have big plans for http://www.Q101.com! One of the first orders of business is make the Q101 App completely FREE for all listeners.?
BBRN is inviting all listeners and fans of Q101 to visit http://www.Q101.com and join its email ?Q101 Club? so they can be kept up-to-date on what BBRN is calling the ?re-birth and re-invention? of Q101. The company promises the fans of Q101 that they will have a ?big say? in the music and content heard on the radio station across all platforms. Additionally, BBRN is reaching out to Q101 jocks, both and past and present its longtime partners, vendors and clients, and any and all content providers eager to be seen and heard on this platform to reach out to them at info@ChicagosAlternative.com and 630-448-0351 to take part in the new Q101.com.
(7/15/2011 7:37:08 PM)
I mourned the death of Q101 with a love letter to the station and to local radio everywhere. You can read how the soundtrack of my formative years will be lost forever at RobbyNova's Pop World:
http://www.robbynovaspopworld.com/2011/07/robbynova-reflects-on-end-of-era-as.html
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