MONTREAL – Could an AM talk-radio war be brewing in Montréal? Looks that way with the city’s top-rated English-language radio station CJAD 800 AM now facing a new competitor on the 600 AM dial.
The CRTC today approved the application for a new English-language talk radio station from Montreal businessmen Paul Tietolman, Nicolas Tétrault and Rajiv Pancholy. The trio has promised to fill 100% of its schedule with local programming that primarily targets those between the ages of 25 and 54. It will also become the sister station to French-language talk station 940 AM which was approved last year and the trio expects to launch both stations together next spring.
The station has committed to 126 hours a week of local programming and include 10 hours and 30 minutes of news (local, regional, national and international), 9 hours and 27 minutes of weather and sports reports, as well as surveillance programming. The station will operate at 10,000 watts daytime and 5,000 watts night-time.
The only opposing intervention was submitted by an individual who stated that CJAD Montréal was already struggling due to existing competition, and that frequency 600 kHz would be better utilized by a different applicant.
In its decision the Commission acknowledged the intervener's concerns, but noted it did not submit any evidence in support of its claims. It added that CJAD is the only English-language commercial radio station in Montréal offering news and news-oriented, talk programming.
“The Commission is of the view that the proposed station would benefit listeners of spoken word programming by providing them with another option and that it would not have an undue negative financial impact on existing radio stations serving the Montréal market. Moreover, the Commission is of the view that by operating an English- and a French-language radio station in the same market [the applicant] would be able to take advantage of certain synergies that would exist between the two stations.”
