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February 9, 2004 - Strategy Media Archive
Features

Market Focus: Montreal
Canada's cultural capital rocks on
As the M&As settle down, buyers take stock of PPMs, digital radio, reality superhits and a new mag for men

by Brendan Christie
page M 12

With a population over one million and a media machine that operates in two languages, it's a no-brainer that Montreal would rank as one of this country's busiest marketplaces.

Almost half a decade of media mergers and acquisitions are winding down, but Canada's culture capital is never a boring place. In fact, say some buyers, things have become even more interesting now that the players are done shuffling. Or, as LXB Communication-Marketing media director Yves Michel puts it, "It's been interesting to follow the industry for the past four or five years. But now it is coming to an end and we see everybody's cards."

Radio

With two tongues to chatter in, it's expected that Montreal radio would be thriving. A January move by Corus station CKOO (FM 98.5 Longueuil) to go from French rock to all news and talk has buyers a-buzz over what promises to be a more modern talk format. CKOO appears to be ramping up to take a run at the doyenne of the French talk scene, CKAC (AM 730), and has even gone as far as picking up CKAC veteran morning man Paul Arcand.

The CRTC has given the nod to an application for a new digital audio broadcasting (DAB) digital station associated with CBF-FM, allowing the digi to air weather, traffic and news. Says Hennessy & Bray Communications SVP David Bray, "The station marks a breakthrough in terms of DAB services, because it is a DAB-exclusive channel and it is the first of its sort on air in Canada.... I think it will set a precedent for all of Canada."

With Cogeco expanding its network into both Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières, and the pending launch of a new jazz station, some outlets are experiencing a high demand for their inventory in this busy market. Sell-outs, however, are rare and buyers can usually find the time they need.

Television

The biggest talk in TV surrounds the pending move to the BBM portable people meter as a minute-by-minute method to track francophone viewing habits. How the PPM will impact clients with calendar-year commitments to broadcasters is still to be determined in some cases and it will lead to a few interesting discussions. (See "Will PPMs mean higher rates?" on page 2 for more on the PPM debate.)

On the screen, reality programming is the big news in Montreal. The scourge of the airwaves has hit La Belle Province like Bonhomme on payday.

TVA began the craze with the hit Star Académie - which drew a jaw-dropping three million viewers - and followed up with Occupation Double (one house full of guys, one full of girls, with the expected angst and sexual tension resulting). Star Académie 2 will hit screens this month. For its part, TQS countered with Loft Story and is making some headway of its own.

On the nation's station, SRC is getting attention with Les Bougon, a dark comedy about a welfare family trying to beat the system. Pulling in over a million viewers an episode, the odd title is certainly capturing some buyer's attention.

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