There has been a lot of talk about CIBL community radio in recent years, particularly the storms it has had to brave. This almost made us forget that she has a cousin on the South Shore and that she has the wind in her sails.
Citizens of Longueuil, Brossard, Saint-Hubert and Greenfield Park are well aware of FM 103.3, the history of which is now told in a book rich in anecdotes and testimonies. In FM 103.3 radio on: More than 35 years of historyauthor and host Valérie Guibbaud retraces the journey of this radio which continues to maintain very strong links with citizens.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM VALériE GUIBBAUD’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Valérie Guibbaud
It was thanks to a federal government employment program that the project to create a community radio station on the South Shore was launched in the mid-1980s. For three years, Maurice Giroux, Pierre Legault and Pierre Grimard worked on worked hard to create this radio whose frequency initially had a power of 50 watts.
The first studios were installed in the presbytery of St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Longueuil. However, we quickly realized that the frame of the building was not strong enough to support the disco then made up of numerous vinyls and CDs. Work was necessary.
On November 15, 1987, listeners on the South Shore were finally able to discover the programs that made up the 168 hours of airtime, including 126 live. The first song that was presented was A hole in the clouds by Michel Rivard. It must be said that FM 103.3 has always reserved pride of place for French-speaking music.
Ten years after its launch, however, the station experienced certain difficulties. It was difficult to attract volunteers, there was a lot of turnover in staff, accounts were overdue… Éric Tétreault then took matters in hand. The one who is still in charge, along with France Dubé, has largely contributed to making FM 103.3 a quality radio station.
In fact, when you don’t know that it is a community radio station, you might think that you are listening to a station that is part of a commercial network. The sound design (indicative and refrains) gives it a professional setting.
We are far from amateurism, hosts who stumble over words and technical glitches on the line.
It should be noted that hosts and journalists who are on air between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays are paid. The station generates revenue through advertising, the station’s website is rich and lively, and the program schedule is varied and very well designed. We even launched an English-speaking HD radio station entirely devoted to country music called Coyote New Country.
In short, it is not for nothing that FM 103.3 has often won awards and is recognized as one of the best community radio stations in the country.
FM 103.3’s audience is large. If we come there to make musical discoveries of all kinds, we also tune into this frequency for local news. This radio speaks to the citizens of the South Shore and their reality. During the 1998 ice storm and the COVID-19 crisis, managers and presenters understood the importance of a local media like theirs.
We like to repeat that the secret of FM 103.3’s success is based on a mixture of “local and urban” concerns.
FM 103.3 is also known for its famous bingo. Every Saturday, thousands of listeners tune in to try to win prizes totaling $5,000.
This show is popular, but it is also very lucrative. Of a turnover of 1.9 million per year, one million comes from bingo.
Thanks to the rigorous work of Valérie Guibbaud, who hosts the show Sunday we read, we learn that FM 103.3 has allowed several talents to blossom. This is the case of Gino Chouinard, Éric Nolin and Éric Martel. Caroline St-Hilaire, who was mayor of Longueuil from 2009 to 2017, and Catherine Fournier, the current mayor, also paraded behind the microphones of this station.
The work, the launch of which was the subject of a big celebration last Thursday evening, is generous in photos and testimonies. Valérie Guibbaud was able to count on Stéphane Gourde, professional archivist and host of the excellent show In timebroadcast on Wednesday evenings.
You often tell me that you like radio, that you like discovering new shows. I invite you to visit the FM 103.3 website. You should find what you’re looking for there.
For my part, the menu of Vinyl 360 where lounge, disco, vintage and new wave are in the spotlight, fills me with happiness. To the wise!
FM 103.3 radio on: More than 35 years of history
Béliveau Editor
In bookstores October 11