The host and ex-politician will take the helm of the radio program broadcast weekdays at noon on 98.5 FM
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
Clearly, the airwaves pass well between politics and journalism in Quebec. After having been commissioner at the microphone of Paul Arcand for three years, Luc Ferrandez will become a star host of the Montreal station from August 22, learned The Press. The former mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal will be at the helm of Without reservationa new program that will cover the news of the week, from noon to 3 p.m., on 98.5 FM.
“My bosses at Cogeco have already asked me to animate, to do replacements during the holidays or vacations, confides Luc Ferrandez in an interview. However, I have always refused. Because I like to go too deep into a subject and give my opinion. I often say that opportunity makes the thief. »
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Bernard Drainville in 2017, at the microphone of 98.5 FM
The occasion, of course, is the resignation of Bernard Drainville, on June 2, who returns to politics and stands for election this fall under the colors of the CAQ. ending Drainville PM, the most listened to radio show at midday.
In its continuityWithout reservation will be a radio rendezvous for opinion buffs. Like its host recognized for his outspokenness. Ferrandez will continue to take a stand on social issues close to his heart, such as the environment and urban planning.
“But I don’t have the indignation button permanently stuck on,” he adds. Being indignant at injustices is fine, but you also have to identify the problems and find solutions. Some topics, such as health and social services, need to be approached more calmly. Calmly. »
An extension of political life
For Luc Ferrandez, talk radio is a normal extension of his political commitment. He explains the hooked atoms between his old and his new profession, due to the fact that his actors feed on the news. Intensely. At every moment of the day. There is also an interest in public affairs, the desire to contribute to the social debates that animate the two circles, he illustrates.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Luc Ferrandez
What will his show look like?
The host wants to offer “content that is both intelligent and entertaining”, surrounded by collaborators capable of both. In his team, we will hear the voices of Meeker Guerrier (Noovo, RDS). “Meeker can talk to us about sports with a social angle,” says Ferrandez. We will also find columnist Christian Page and investigative journalist Marie-Ève Tremblay. This will expose the behind the scenes of societal issues. Finally, Ferrandez retains commentator Luc Lavoie. “He has a reading of current events totally contrary to mine,” says the new host who likes tough discussions.
Rocky beginnings
“Luc Ferrandez is a polemicist, a guy on the left, but not an ideologue,” said his colleague Paul Arcand. The King of the Airwaves saw Ferrandez’s potential in radio long before Ferrandez quit Project Montreal.
In interviews at the time, I found [que Luc Ferrandez] had an extraordinary ability to communicate with people. One day, I went to eat with him to gauge his interest in the Commission. The rest belongs to my bosses.
Paul Arcand
Paul Arcand recalls Ferrandez’s debut at Since you have to get up, in August 2019. To use an understatement, his collaborator was not unanimous… “It was downright hostile! I would never have thought to see such an outcry, says Arcand. But Luc works very hard and thrives on challenges. He gained the esteem of many listeners over time. »
A two-year contract
During his first appearance on the 98.5 morning show, Ferrandez remembers having received 600 hateful messages in less than 48 hours! What does he expect with the announcement of his appointment this morning?
“I think it’s going to be the same,” Ferrandez replies. I haven’t changed my speech one iota. I don’t do radio so that everyone thinks like me. It’s normal that people don’t like me. And oversized anger has become the modus operandi of our time, with social networks, ”says the host who signed a two-year contract with Cogeco.
But the ex-politician is made strong. And he is able to weather storms. Beyond his talents as a communicator and popularizer, Paul Arcand got to know the man. “Luc is a very funny guy, with a lot of self-mockery,” he says.
At 60, Ferrandez has resolutely put politics behind him. Although nowadays, everything is possible. However, since he evolves in the public arena, he is attracted by the light. “I have deep confidence in the peaceful nature of Quebecers,” says the host, quoting the words of a famous Charlebois song (written by Pierre Bourgault). “Because here in Quebec, everything starts with a Q and ends with a beak. »