Paul Arcand’s absence from the airwaves since mid-November is hurting 98.5, which saw its morning audience drop this fall. The station nevertheless remains the most listened to in the Montreal market.
This is what the listening data published Wednesday by the Numeris firm reveal. During the last poll last spring, Paul Arcand’s show, Since you have to get up, captured 40.2% of the market share in the morning slot. However, this fall, 98.5 saw its audience share drop to 34.8% in the morning. Bad news for a private station which depends on advertisers. Worse: these results only partly reflect the absence of Paul Arcand for health reasons.
The one nicknamed the king of the airwaves only gave up his microphone in the second week of November, explaining that he was suffering from a devastating infection. However, the current survey takes into account listening from the end of August to the end of November. It is therefore a safe bet that the drop in audiences for 98.5 is even more marked in the last month than the figures shared on Wednesday.
“Paul is doing much better,” Christine Dicaire, director of communications at Cogeco, said by email. The company, which owns the 98.5, does not, however, give a return date. “We will let his doctors decide,” M simply let it be known.me Dicaire.
Furthermore, 98.5 does not intend to make any changes to its morning show, despite the drop in audiences. Currently, Louis Lacroix replaces Paul Arcand.
Even if his health allows him to return to the air this winter, Paul Arcand’s return will be short-lived. He has already announced that he will retire next June. Patrick Lagacé will succeed him at the helm of the morning show in the fall of 2024.
The 98.5 always first
All one morning, the show piloted by Patrick Masbourian on ICI Première, seems to benefit a little from the sudden absence of Paul Arcand. The public broadcaster experienced an increase of 0.2% between spring and fall in the morning time slot.
But it is above all the two Bell Media music radio stations which have seen their market shares increase this fall between 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on weekdays. Énergie increased its market share in this niche by 2.5% in Montreal and its sister station, Rouge, by 1.7%.
Despite all these upheavals in the morning time slot, the most important of the day in the radio sector, 98.5 remains by far the most listened to station in Montreal with 22.9% market share, in decline by 1.2 compared to spring. Luc Ferrandez, at midday, and Patrick Lagacé, on the return, suffered a little from the absence of Paul Arcand on the airwaves of 98.5, but they continue to occupy first place in their respective time slot.
Good news for Radio-Canada
At 17.8% listening share (+1.3), ICI Première continues its growth. 95.1 FM is above all, and still, the most tuned frequency on weekends, by far. Janic Tremblay, who succeeded Michel Désautels in the fall, even managed to increase listening shares on Sunday mornings with his new show All Terrain.
Other good news for Radio-Canada: ICI Musique again gained listeners during the fall, reaching 7.3% of market share, a record for the station.
ICI Musique’s audiences have continually tended to climb in recent years, unlike other music stations, which are now competing with streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Rhytme FM, another Cogeco station, remains the most popular music frequency in Montreal with 12.8% market share. It certainly maintains a comfortable lead over its closest rivals, but its market shares fell by 1.5% in the fall.