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No English AC Station in Montreal Anymore?

G

Gregg

I was really surprised to see 92.5 CFQR give up the AC format for a Rhythmic AC sound and even new call letters, CKBE, the BE standing for "The Beat." That leaves Montreal as perhaps the largest North American market without an AC station, at least one broadcasting in English. In Toronto CHFI is still big. Same for CHQM in Vancouver.

I suppose the ratings were falling for CFQR but I can't understand why. I haven't been in Montreal lately but in the past I'd walk into stores and restaurants and hear CFQR playing. Sometimes I'd even hear 92.9 WEZF from Burlington VT playing, also a Soft to Mainstream AC station.

At one time CFQR, along with French outlets CITE and CFGL, were Easy Listening stations, maybe 20 years ago. CFQR was unusual in that it, like many Easy stations, moved to Soft AC. But then it moved back to Easy for a year or two before returning to Soft AC. I believe CITE and CFGL were both French Soft AC by the time CFQR joined them permanently. A few years later, CFGL went to a Rhythmic AC format, leaving CITE as the one French Soft AC in the market and CFQR as English Soft AC.

CFQR has always tried to be the At-Work station with a music mix that isn't too hard to take in the office or store. I'm not sure but didn't CFQR also switch to All-Christmas music in December? I suppose that's over with, even though most North American AC stations find it really helps the ratings at the end of the year. Does Montreal even have an All-Christmas station this year? Does Montreal need two Rhythmic AC stations, one in French and one in English, especially since many North American markets have no Rhythmic AC station?


Gregg
[email protected]
 
Is there a French AC there? Perhaps with such a high French population, plus such a high Bilingual population it was increasingly difficult to compete with a French AC format in Montreal.

With no solid fact intended, it is to my understanding that currently, it's not the french population on the rise there. It's actually an increase in the bilingual population. If that is at all true, why bother competing with a French AC when there are other formats to make good money on.

Do the Bilinguals there really care if the announcer is speaking in french or English if the music is the same?
 
Yeziknoradio said:
Is there a French AC there? Perhaps with such a high French population, plus such a high Bilingual population it was increasingly difficult to compete with a French AC format in Montreal.
Click to expand...

There are two French ACs -- CFGL 105.7 (Rythme FM) and CITE 107.3 (Rouge FM).

Since 92.5 dropping AC, a station in Burlington is trying to woo disenfranchised Montreal listeners to listen to their station:

http://blog.fagstein.com/2011/10/26/wezf-attack-ad/
 
It seems like over in Ottawa and the greater Ontario area there are too many AC stations. Bob FM, Magic, Moose FM all seem to be selling a similar format. Montreal still has Vigin Radio 95.9 playing newer top 40 hot AC along with rim shot station 94.7 Hits FM (broadcasting in only mono).
 
92.5 is still considered AC. Even though it is now leaning rhythmic, it still plays Bon Jovi (not a Rhythmic AC group) and similar artists.
 
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