The alarm went off at 3:24 a.m. that Tuesday morning for Max Lalonde, because he “doesn’t like round numbers.” At 4:30 a.m. – or rather 4:29 a.m. –, a good hour and a half before going on the air, this morning man of career has already arrived at the station, busy reading everything he can about the latest news in the world of sports.
“I like the time before opening the microphones more than opening the microphones themselves,” he explained to The Pressa few minutes after the end of his show The Morning Clubon the air for no less than four hours, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
He spends this hour with his collaborators Gilbert Delorme, Anthony Desaulniers and the broadcaster, Alexandre Lanctôt.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The morning show The Morning Club
When The Press arrives at the station, it is after 8:30 a.m. Three of the four collaborators are seated around the table, microphone in their faces, overlooked by the large window overlooking a snow-covered Laurier Avenue West. Delorme, from his RV in Florida, comments on sports news with his trademark color. The geographical distance between the analyst and the other members of the team does not appear on air, a sign of a chemistry that already seems to be operating within the Morning club.
We are already saying, because this show, in its current format, has only existed for a week and a half at the time of The Press.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The morning host Maxime Lalonde (left)
“It’s a show that has been shaken up quite a bit in the last year,” explains Lalonde.
There was the end of BPM Sports’ association with Jean-Charles Lajoie last August. Then the arrival of Paul Houde in the fall, as well as his sudden departure in October.
It’s a show that deserves stability. And if the bosses want it, I would really like it to be my way of life for the next few years.
Maxime Lalonde, host at BPM Sports
Alexandre Panneton, general manager of the station, speaks of a “curve ball” received in the fall with the departure of Paul Houde. “We took our time before making a decision,” the CEO will point out later in the morning, in his office. We wanted to make a decision which, we hope, will be lasting. »
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The show The Morning Club
The lifestyle of morning host, in any case, is not unknown to Max Lalonde. He is on his 14the year of hosting on morning radio, he who began his career at Énergie, in Val-d’Or, at the age of 22. ” THE morningit’s at the top of the pyramid for me,” he says after having devoured his lunch after leaving the airwaves.
“A lot of times I look in the studio window, the tanks are starting to come in, you’re there before anyone else, you know you’re going to be the first point of contact with a lot of people. They will get up, turn on the radio in the kitchen, jump in their car. They will listen to the radio right away. You have [quelque chose] to teach them. You have to entertain them, accompany them. »
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The show The Morning Club
Time seems to move differently on radio, a medium where every second counts to engage the public. The last hour of Morning club is dedicated to the telephone panel, a tool commonly used at BPM Sports, and which contributes to its uniqueness. The listeners on the line are often regulars, well known to the hosts.
The show is about to end. Maxime Van Houtte, who will take over from 10 a.m. to noon with Van Houtte livecomes to sit in front of Lalonde for a few minutes, the idea being to create a “bridge” between the two shows.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Anthony Desaulniers (center)
Transparency, here: the author of these lines and Van Houtte have known each other since their time at UQAM, and have already collaborated on different projects. We are therefore not surprised to see him arrive with his Vulgaires Machins t-shirt, start his show with Sum 41, brandish his numerous references to popular culture with the same ease as he juggles with his football worn out during its animation.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Maxime Van Houtte (left)
At the start of the show, programming director Yves Bombardier sneaks into the studio to inform Van Houtte of some breaking news, a note which he transmits to him on paper. Yvon Michel and Alexandra Croft, of GYM, are suspended by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec. A few moments later, his collaborator Hugo Raîche read the news on the air. Anthony Marcotte will come and analyze it afterwards.
“We are here for the first reaction, the first debate, the first impressions,” Alexandre Panneton will recall when we talk to him about this moment. We want to be that destination. »