“I wondered what people would want to hear at 6:30 p.m. when some are coming home from work and others are stirring spaghetti sauce. They heard the news all day. We need to take the discussion elsewhere. My bosses told me they wanted a show that looked like me. So, we’re going to do infotainment. »
Geneviève Pettersen hesitates to use the term “light” to describe the content of this program which will be broadcast from Monday to Thursday (except on hockey evenings) and which will be called It’s going to go far. “We’re going to talk about everything, but we’re going to try not to be heavy. »
The host will be surrounded by several collaborators. She insists on one aspect: she wants to mix all generations. “I’m tired of always pitting young people against older ones. I’m no longer capable of generational clashes. We’re going to mix everyone together and we’re going to debate topics based on ideas. »
Geneviève Pettersen joined the 98.5 team last summer. Listeners can hear him regularly on Luc Ferrandez’s show, Without reservation. She made this jump after three years at QUB Radio. Others will remember his columns in the magazine Chatelaine or in The Press under the name of Madame Thing.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Genevieve Pettersen
In Noovo, she participates in Debaters. Because it must be said, Geneviève Pettersen is not afraid of interacting with public opinion. “I come from a family where there were very strong characters, a lot of discussions and criticism. To have your place at the table, you had to elaborate on your point. »
His parents favored these positions. “I always say that my mother is more interesting than me. I wish she would make a TikTok. That would be extraordinary. »
The one who made herself known with the successful novel The Goddess of Fire Flies don’t hesitate to post ideas that go against the grain. However, this made him experience very difficult ordeals, particularly because of slip-ups on social networks.
“I’m going to say something sad about this: I have no emotion about it anymore. It was so violent when I was at Quebecor. I received death threats, the police came to my house, I had to rush to pick up my children from school two or three times, my bosses had to escort me to my car. »
She recognizes that these episodes subsequently slowed her down. “I already told myself one Friday that I didn’t want to have a bad weekend. We must remain vigilant, but it remains noise which is amplified by a small handful of people. Everybody is not aware of this. »
At the helm of her new show, will she be tempted to share her ideas with her collaborators and guests? “Journalistic objectivity is a concept I struggle with. Everyone has subjectivity. Afterwards, it’s a question of ethics. That said, I don’t have an opinion on everything in life. On the contrary, the older I get, the less opinions I have and the more questions I have. »
Geneviève Pettersen hates “echo chambers” and thinks that we must learn to confront our ideas with others. “I find it healthy to come out of a debate with an idea different from the one we had at the start. When I started working with Luc Ferrandez, I had a certain image of the man. As I got to know him more, I discovered someone different. »
After studying literature at CEGEP, Geneviève Pettersen turned to religious sciences. “Everyone told me it wouldn’t do any good, but it helps me all the time. I learned to read texts, to develop my critical thinking, to separate credible information from that which is not. Religion colors everything in the world. »
There is no question for the host of putting aside the author that she is, quite the contrary. She is currently working on the script for a television series, the details of which she cannot reveal. She will soon begin writing another novel. “The whole structure is established. Now I have to write it. My novels represent my last space of freedom. I like not having constraints. »
And Friday evening?
The slot (6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.) that Geneviève Pettersen will have was to be occupied on Friday evening by MC Gilles. But the announcement of his dismissal on April 10 now leaves a vacant slot.
At Cogeco, we received an avalanche of proposals in the hours following the announcement of his departure. Hosts and comedians rushed to offer their services.
The management of 98.5 is looking at all this carefully. An announcement will be made shortly.