Q101 DJs React To Buyout News, Share Next Moves On Twitter
By Jon Graef in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 22, 2011 8:40PM
Through his usual combination of reporting tenacity, Spidey sense, and a clairvoyance that typically haunts Stephen King books, Robert Feder once again scooped the entire media universe by reporting the sales of Chicago stations Q101 and The Loop Monday.
The stations, who both specialize in rock preferred by dudes and bros at various stations in life (alternative and classic, respectively), were bought out by Merlin Media, an investment group headed by Randy Michaels, the former Tribune Co. CEO. (Find out about Michaels yourself here.)
Most significantly, under the new ownership, Q101 will ditch the modern rock format for an all-news format--a change that will occur in the next 45 days. In the day that followed, Q101 DJs took to their Twitter feeds to announce new plans, or just to wax grateful toward the fans who listened to them.
Here are those reactions:
- Local 101 producer Jaime Black said he was grateful for the 13 years he spent working at Q101, and that his next move would be to eventually build a small scale studio.
- Black, who also hosts the Dynasty Podcast, interviewed former DJ James Van Osdol, who recently released a book titled Off The Record. His next project? An oral history of Q101. Van Osdol confirmed the news with Black on the podcast.
- Midday DJ Electra thanked people for encouraging Tweets, both yesterday and earlier this morning. The latter tweet contains a link to Lupe Fiasco's recent hit, the optimistic, Modest Mouse-sampling "The Show Must Go On."
- People have some, um, rather forceful things to say to morning DJs Sherman and Tingle over at their Facebook page.
- Tim Pogo's already volunteering his services, in comedic fashion.
Best of luck to all the DJs and other radio personnel who've just lost their jobs. May you land safely. (Maybe at CHIRP?).