WKQX (101.1 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, featuring an alternative rock format known as "Q101".

A sale of the station to Merlin Media in August 2011 saw outgoing owner Emmis Communications sell the "Q101 Chicago" name, intellectual property and all underlying trademarks for a unrelated internet radio station bearing the same name, while WKQX itself flipped to all-news radio under Merlin Media as WWWN, then to adult contemporary as WIQI.

[15] WJOI followed suit, and aired an automated country music format aimed at a somewhat younger audience than WMAQ, with programming from TM Productions.

By January 1979, WDAI switched to an all-disco format and WKQX became an adult contemporary station;[21][22][23] Joel Sebastian hosted mornings.

[39] In July 1993, former MTV VJ Mark Goodman was hired as morning host, replacing Robert Murphy, but he remained in this position less than a year.

[45] Mancow was dropped by the station on July 14, 2006, with Emmis Communications replacing his show with one that they felt would better appeal to their target demographic.

[51][52][53] On June 21, 2011, Emmis announced that it would sell WKQX, sister station WLUP-FM, and WRXP-FM in New York City to Merlin Media, whose CEO was former Tribune Company and Clear Channel Communications executive Randy Michaels.

[60] Q101 would continue solely as an online stream programmed, in part, by Emmis' KROX-FM, before BBRN eventually relaunched it as an internet-only station.

[62][63] Robert Murphy returned to the station after 19 years to host mornings along with Lise Dominique for a few weeks until the full format switch took place.

[65][63] Eight days after the call letter change, on July 29, at 4 pm, WWWN launched an all-news format branded as "FM News 101.1".

[69] WIQI also began an advertising campaign that included a controversial series of billboards using the face of imprisoned former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and the "He Never Listens... to FM News 101.1" tagline.

[76] By June 2012, WIQI began phasing in blocks of "Expanded News Coverage" where the station entered a programming approach similar to talk radio.

[80][77] "FM News" was outperformed by the final ratings book for "Q101" and WKQX-LP, the aural signal of a low-power analog television station operated by Merlin under a local marketing agreement with an alternative rock format dubbed "Q87.7".

[81][82][77] At 9 a.m. (CT) on July 17, 2012, with both WIQI and WEMP languishing on the eve of their one-year anniversaries, "FM News" was abruptly dropped on both stations.

[91][92] Cumulus executives indicated that they, at the time of rebranding, had no intentions of acquiring back the online rendition of "Q101" and related intellectual properties from the stations' 1992-2011 era.

[65] 101 WKQX's airstaff initially included Brian Phillips, Lou Lombardo, Lauren O'Neil, PJ Kling, and "wALT" (Walter Flakus of Stabbing Westward).

[98] In April 2016, the station hired James VanOsdol, another former Q101 personality, to host a new local music showcase titled "Demo 312" (in reference to Chicago's well-known main area code).

[100] In November 2015, WKQX and WLUP announced their move from the Merchandise Mart, where the 101.1 frequency has been broadcast from since first taking the airwaves in 1948, in favor of a new studio at the NBC Tower.

[101] Cumulus stated that under the agreement, which carries a monthly fee of $600,000, the company had lost $8.4 million on the two Merlin stations.

[103] On April 18, 2022, Cumulus Media announced their purchase of Q101 Chicago from Broadcast Barter Radio Networks, as well as the Q101.com domain name, all underlying trademarks and related intellectual property that Emmis had divested in 2011.

Cumulus Chicago Vice President/Market Manager Marv Nyren revealed to Daily Herald journalist Robert Feder that discussions had been ongoing for over four years to reacquire rights to the "Q101" brand.