Quebecor has long wanted to complete its ecosystem with an FM radio station. Now it’s done! By offering the content of its web radio station QUB on the frequency 99.5 Montréal, owned by Leclerc Communication, the empire is shaking up Montreal’s airwaves.
Because the question we must ask ourselves is: will the voices of 99.5 Montreal (Mario Dumont, Benoit Dutrizac, Richard Martineau, Sophie Durocher, Isabelle Maréchal, Mathieu Bock-Côté, etc.) have a big impact on the other talk radio stations in Montreal — 98.5 and ICI Première — which hold the “monopoly” on opinion and speech, according to their new adversaries?
One thing is certain: Leclerc Communication and Quebecor want to make a big splash. On Monday, during the press conference, two clues showed that they are taking drastic measures to assert themselves. First, the new name: 99.5 Montreal, which replaces WKND. We are one digit away from Cogeco’s flagship station, 98.5.
And then the day we chose to make this announcement. As luck would have it, it fell on the return of 98.5 and the arrival on the air of Paul Arcand’s successor, Patrick Lagacé (the latter launched the boat in this tumult by remaining imperturbable). And as luck would have it, a leak allowed the Montreal Journal to make its main headline with this news on Monday morning.
In short, it’s tough. And it’s going to be even tougher. I can feel it.
Will this radio station really shake up its competitors? The question is complex. Everything is linked to the prism of ideas formed by these three talk radio stations. Centre-left for ICI Première, nuanced centre for 98.5 and centre-right for 99.5 Montréal? Can we summarize things so briefly? Benoit Dutrizac, who does not believe in these labels, did not hide his exasperation on this subject during the press conference. I personally believe that, in all three cases, the hosts and columnists can have fairly strong ideas on certain subjects, but can also be nuanced on others.
We remember the failure of Radio X in Montreal. That’s true, except that was in 2014. Since then, social networks have gained influence on debates of ideas. Voices no longer hesitate to speak out. They are looking for references, a twinning. It is this aspect that could work in favor of 99.5 Montreal.
One thing surprised me Monday morning during the press conference: no Quebecor executive was at the table. Behind it were Nicolas Leclerc, vice-president of Leclerc Communication, Benoit Simard, director of 99.5 Montréal, Mario Dumont and Benoit Dutrizac. Mathieu Turbide, vice-president of digital content at Quebecor and vice-president of NumériQ, was in the background, but he freely answered journalists’ questions after the conference.
It gave me the impression that they are trying to send the message that QUB Radio is only a content provider, and not the broadcaster it has wanted to be for years. That said, QUB will still review the nature of its programs, which, since 2018, have been designed to be listened to as podcasts. However, morning or drive-home programs, when offered on an FM band, must take into account the needs of a wider audience. They want to know the weather, traffic conditions and the latest news of the day. The programs will therefore have a more “live” feel and will be less timeless.
We are also reviewing the teams of each of the shows. On this subject, The Montreal Journal mentioned the names of Pierre-Yves McSween and MC Gilles, two former 98.5 employees. The latter were not present at the press conference. Nicolas Leclerc said, however, that “discussions” were taking place and that announcements would be made in the coming days.
As we know, at Quebecor, we like to showcase the company’s media and headliners. Will the shows that will be broadcast on 99.5 dare to go outside the ecosystem? I hope so. We expect that from radio shows that are accessible to all.
Despite the completely crazy schedule of a morning manMario Dumont told me that he will continue to host his daily show, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., on LCN. He will then write columns for The Montreal Journal. This man (who became a grandfather this summer) is a real machine.
QUB Radio was not subject to the Numéris surveys, which, four times a year, provide an accurate picture of listeners’ listening habits. But given their presence on the FM band, we will now know whether QUB’s hosts are very popular or not. There is no doubt that the surveys for this fall season, published in December, will be highly anticipated.
In closing, I have a thought for those who lost their jobs at WKND Montreal: Patrick Langlois, Pascal Morissette, Alexandre Barrette, Étienne Boulay, Maripier Morin and many others. They accepted this bad news without making a scene and with great elegance on social networks.
I also have a thought for Paul Arcand. I sincerely believe that his departure has to do with this upheaval. During his reign, no one would have dared to confront him in this way. Now that he is no longer there, the crown awakens minds. And ambitions.