For two years, Daphnée Malbœuf has been a feminine face that we see more and more at RDS. The young journalist hosts a weekly program, The three stars, and is called upon to replace the broadcast of Rocket de Laval matches.
Before her first match, on December 14, 2019, she called Chantal Machabée “for advice on how to prepare for pre-match interviews, what to do, what not to do”, tells us Malboeuf, that the ‘can be heard on RDS and 91.9 Sports.
“Once, I had a topo that went on during intermission. Chantal asked me what time it was. She listened to him and gave me her comments. I have been privileged to have this access and it has always been super precious. ”
Andrée-Anne Barbeau is another female face that we see more on the airwaves of RDS, where she hosts The anteroom sporadically over the past few months.
“Last year, on International Women’s Day, March 8, we did The anteroom together, with Kim St-Pierre and Manon Rhéaume. It is one of the most significant moments of my career. For a girl of my generation, it’s worth a lot. ”
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Chantal Machabée and Andrée-Anne Barbeau on the set of The anteroom
Since 1989
We are not exaggerating when talking about a page of history that has turned to RDS with the appointment of Chantal Machabée as vice-president of communications for the Canadiens.
She obviously did not always have the ascendancy described above over her colleagues. It’s the kind of presence that develops over time, after 32 years on the same channel.
Mme Machabée was the first face of what was once called the 25th.er September 1989, it was she who welcomed the spectators during the very first bulletin Sports 30 of the sports channel.
Since then, she has chained the mandates, host of Sports 30 host of the Canadiens’ matches, through her most recent role, that of journalist of beat assigned to the coverage of CH. Along the way, she has become one of the most beloved faces of the resort, both internally and with the public.
“I especially had a thought for Paul [Buisson]. Damn he would have been happy. Paul loved Chantal, says Luc Gélinas, also assigned to the daily coverage of the Canadian on RDS. Everyone loves Chantal. I also thought of Jacques [Demers], with what he saw. He must receive this with so much happiness and pride. ”
“She was THE personality of RDS,” estimates Charles Perreault, general manager of the station, who arrived at the Sports Network in the early 1990s. The broadcasts called for her. She went to The week of 4 Julie, at Please do not send flowers. She did collaborations on the radio, she hosted conferences. “
When someone was looking for a woman as a model, it was Chantal. She had a busy schedule, and sometimes she had a hard time saying no.
Charles Perreault, Managing Director of RDS
His connection to his employer was indeed strong, right down to his license plate, which winked at RDS. “She has always been loyal. It has often been approached by the competition, we won’t hide it! », Adds Perreault.
It was also on his desk that certain special projects landed, for example the first interview that Jonathan Drouin granted last September, at the start of training camp.
“Without taking anything away from anyone, because I don’t want to disrespect any colleague, but everywhere I go, people only talk to me about Chantal,” Gélinas testifies. “How is she in life?” He is the figurehead of RDS. It’s not just a loss for the Canadiens’ coverage, but also for the branding. It’s a loss with a capital P. ”
A legacy for women
Beyond its impact on RDS, it will also have marked the brotherhood of sports journalists.
Andrée-Anne Barbeau knows something about it, she who was assigned to the cover of the CH during the 2016-2017 season. Barbeau was then working for TVA Sports, a direct competitor of RDS.
“She gave me an exceptional welcome. There was no competition, she recalls. We often talk about competition between girls, but we can stand rather than hinder each other. She is at the base of a solidarity movement for girls in the community. By being the dean of the middle, she set the tone for the girls of sports journalism to unite. ”
Mme Machabée is now embarking on a new project, at 57, at a time when she could have simply maintained the status quo until retirement.
“It proves that she is a go-getter woman, who cares about her job, that she still wants to break down barriers,” says Malboeuf.
“Seeing that she wanted other challenges is so inspiring,” adds Barbeau. She could have continued and that would have been okay. But she embarks on another challenge. Yes, we know her in Montreal, but she is entering the NHL, she will have to elbow. It is not won for women in strategic positions. ”
With the hiring of Chantal Machabée at the Canadiens, only five organizations in the NHL (out of 32) have a woman at the top of the communications department. The others are the Pittsburgh Penguins (Jennifer Bullano Ridgley), the Florida Panthers (Adelyn Biedenbach), the Buffalo Sabers (Nicole Hendricks) and the Seattle Kraken (Katie Townsend).