Is Q-101 selling itself or promoting a rival?

On the day that WKQX-FM (101.1) expanded its alternative rockplaylist and unveiled the new slogan "Now on Shuffle," EmmisCommunications delivered 300 pre-programmed iPods to the station'stop advertisers and media buyers.

Soon after that, billboards began appearing all over town with thestylized image of a huge iPod in the foreground, the skyline ofChicago in the background, the words "60 Gigs of Alternative -- Nowon Shuffle," and Q-101's logo in the lower right corner.

While Q-101 bosses believe the iPod analogy connects with theirtarget audience, others in the radio industry see it as misguided.

"Should a medium that's already universal be comparing …