CHICAGO – Marv Nyren, vice president and general manager of Emmis Radio Chicago, today announced that Q101 (WKQX-FM), Chicago’s alternative rock station, is making significant changes to the station’s weekday morning programming. Since changing the station’s music to encompass “Everything Alternative” and putting it all “On Shuffle,” the station has been attracting a growing audience that is demographically broader than the station had been previously. Now Q101 and Program Director Mike Stern are developing an unconventional morning show that is designed to appeal to this wider demographic. The target launch date for the new morning show is September 18. Additional details about the show will be released at a later date.
Mancow’s Morning Madhouse, which has aired on Q101 since 1998, will continue to be heard on the station until Friday, July 14. Then, beginning Monday, July 17, Q101 will kick off the “Summer of Shuffle.” Listeners will enjoy a summer of music intensive programming in the morning that will match Q101’s “on shuffle” programming the rest of the day, which has been increasingly popular since its debut April 1, 2005. Chicago Alternative Music Expert James Van Osdol will host this show, which will include brief news, traffic and sports reports.
“It’s an exciting time here at Q101,” said Nyren. “‘Q101 on Shuffle’ – which represents 85 percent of our weekly programming – has proven to be incredibly popular with our listenership, which primarily is composed of individuals within the 18-49 demographic. In light of this, we’ve decided that the time has come for us to develop a morning show that will better serve the needs and sensibilities of this audience. These changes will provide our core listeners with a format that they can enjoy continuously, all day, every day.”
“Mancow has been an enormous asset to Q101, and we’re grateful to him for his eight great years at the station,” added Mike Stern, vice president of programming for Emmis Radio Chicago. “Mancow is a tremendous talent, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. While we are sad to part ways, for Q101 to continue to grow and expand our audience, we realize that it’s important for us to provide listeners with a morning show with broader appeal that better fits the tone of the rest of the station’s programming. We believe we have that show and will be excited to bring it to Chicago this fall.”
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Emmis Communications is an Indianapolis-based diversified media firm with radio broadcasting, television broadcasting and magazine publishing operations. Emmis owns 22 FM and two AM domestic radio stations serving the nation’s largest markets of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago as well as St. Louis, Austin, Indianapolis and Terre Haute, Ind. In addition, Emmis owns a radio network, international radio interests, three television stations, award-winning regional and specialty magazines, and ancillary businesses in broadcast sales and publishing. In May 2006, the company announced that it had agreed to sell Phoenix radio station KKFR-FM, subject to FCC and other regulatory approvals. In May 2005, Emmis announced its intent to seek strategic alternatives for its 16 television stations, and the company has sold or announced signed definitive agreements to sell 14 of them.
