Change at 98.5 FM: columnist Patrick Lagacé will replace host Paul Arcand at the helm of his morning show in a year and a half, Since you have to get up.
the biggest morning man du Québec presented its successor on the air Wednesday morning. Columnist at The PressPatrick Lagacé will take over the microphone of the daily morning show in August 2024.
It was Pierre Martineau, vice-president, 98.5 and regional stations, Cogeco Media, invited to the studio by Paul Arcand, who insisted on the importance for the management of respecting the DNA of the show. He explained his choice by presenting Patrick Lagacé as “someone who has a journalistic profile, credibility, notoriety, able to bounce back from current events and who, as a supreme challenge, agreed to radically change his life. “.
Paul Arcand announced last summer that he would not renew his contract, wishing to “move on to something else”, almost 20 years after taking the helm of Since you have to get up.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
The columnist of The Press Patrick Lagace
Paul Arcand made no exception for Patrick Lagacé, he interviewed him like all his guests. The journalist even confessed to his microphone that he had started to like the radio “somewhere during the pandemic”. “Before that, it was hard,” he said. I’m not a routine guy, but at some point the shoe broke, and I started to like the medium a lot. »
In a tone of humor, Paul Arcand then allowed himself to give him some advice, while avoiding “being the mother-in-law”.
Take advantage of all your Tuesday night dinners, all your social life, go hang out on Twitter with people at midnight, take advantage of it, because after that you won’t be able to do this without paying the price on your health plan. […] Take advantage of all these moments before starting the life of the monastery, with vegetable broth, bedtime at 8 a.m. and waking up in the middle of the night.
Paul Arcand to Patrick Lagacé
Behind the scenes, Patrick Lagacé sat at the top of the list of names considered for the position.
The late afternoon show host Quebec now says that “the conversation started a long time ago” with Pierre Martineau. He said he was happy that “the cat is finally out of the bag”. We do not know who will replace him on the homecoming show.
“The first time we talked about it formally, I said, ‘Listen, I’m not closing the door,’ which was a way of closing the door by keeping it a little ajar. For what ? Because it’s a big challenge. Will you get up at this time? By dint of thinking, having discussions with Pierre, talking about it to my relatives, finally I said yes, ”he says.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Patrick Lagacé in interview with Paul Arcand
Despite his new mandate, Patrick Lagacé has no intention of leaving The Press. The columnist assures that he will continue to sign texts there, probably in fewer numbers. Once in office, he will also take writing leave until January 2025.
“I established with the readers of The Press a conversation that has been going on for years, which is rich and which I like very much, so I have no intention of leaving”, he underlines, before adding that “being at The Press makes him “a better journalist”.
As for the show Two Golden Men and Rosalie, which he co-hosts on Télé-Québec with Pierre-Yves Lord and Rosalie Bonenfant, the outcome is not yet clear. “I’m going to have discussions with the broadcaster, that’s for sure,” notes Patrick Lagacé. For his part, Pierre-Yves Lord has already announced that he will leave the show at the end of this season.
“A huge challenge”
The columnist recognizes the magnitude of the mandate: he will lead the most listened to radio program in Montreal… the number one station in the country. Fortunately, he has a year and a half to prepare for it.
It’s a huge challenge, and we have a year and a half to build a team of on-air and off-air collaborators. A year and a half to see what we will keep from the show and what we will decide not to keep.
Patrick Lagace
In the interview, he does not fail to underline the “genius” of Paul Arcand, who can conduct a robust interview before moving on to a lighter segment. Does he dread the comparison with his predecessor, much appreciated by the public? “I’m comfortable with it. I can’t control this. All I can do is do what I do all the time, come prepared,” the 51-year-old host replies.
Paul Arcand, he rightly concluded the segment of his show devoted to his successor by telling him of the importance that the team had on his work and by praising the public of the morning show.
“When you get up at that time, if you don’t work with fun people, with whom you want to be, people you respect, with whom you have fun, it doesn’t work. The other thing I’m going to tell you, Pat, is that morning listeners are the best. They may take a little time to adopt you, but once the fidelity is there, there is a closeness, a trust. Sometimes they’re angry, sometimes they’re going the same way as you, but I listen to them, it keeps me grounded and I say it in a chauvinistic way, I’m going to get bored of that. »