TORONTO – Astral Media may have been one of the CRTC’s most vociferous critics when it came to its satellite radio decision this year, but the company’s radio division has signed on to produce two French language channels for SIRIUS Canada.
Adult Contemporary format Rock Velours will play the best Canadian soft rock and include new French artists like Jorane, Pierre Lapointe and Ariane Moffatt. Rock Velours will also feature newer Canadian artists like Daniel Powter, Feist and Divine Brown.
Contemporary Hit radio (CHR) format Energie2 will have a play list that includes Pop Rock, Modern Rock and popular Urban music in both French and English. Energie2 will display exciting new French Canadian artists mixed with the best hits of today from around the globe.
Said Gary Slaight, president and CEO, Standard Broadcasting and partner of SIRIUS Canada, "This announcement provides SIRIUS Canada with a strategic benefit in the Quebec market," said Slaight, "We are greatly expanding the reach of these two popular French language formats and taking their success and appeal to a much broader audience."
Astral operates 21 French-language radio stations in Quebec under the Rock Détente, Energie and boom brands. It also owns eight Atlantic Canada stations.
SIRIUS Canada is getting ready to launch its service in time for the holidays. “SIRIUS Canada offers a winning combination for Canadian listeners – the credibility of news, sports and arts programming from CBC, the musical scope and depth of Standard Broadcasting, and the extensive SIRIUS U.S. broadcasting platform that features high quality entertainment, commercial-free music, talk and sports programming,” says the press release.
