Just ten months after signing on, Evanov Radio Group has pulled the plug on French LGBT Talk/Hot AC “Radio Fierte” 980 CHRF Montreal.
The station is now stunting with Christmas Music branded as “AM 980” with a website at Noel980.com. Per the station’s CRTC license, the music is a mix of English and French with all announcements and advertising in French. The logo on the new site happens to be identical to the branding used for Evanov’s network of Soft AC “Jewel” across Canada. That format is heard in the western suburbs of Montreal on Evanov’s 106.7 CHSV-FM Hudson-Saint Lazare.
Does this mean a possible format change to LGBT-formatted CIRR-FM in Toronto? I wouldn’t think so, but the LGBT format might just not be bringing enough revenue in from either market.
No. CIRR doesn’t do well because of their signal. They have to keep moving their tower to different spots in the downtown core because of interference. I don’t see Evanov dropping it completely in Toronto.
Another interesting wrinkle here is that Montreal proper has not had a soft AC station – 106.7 CHSV-FM’s signal can mostly be heard in the western part of Montreal – since 2011. That was when the current 92.5 CKBE – formerly CFQR, 92.5 The Q / Q92 – flipped to CHR as 92.5 The Beat.
CRTC laws forbid simulcasts, so it will be interesting what direction Evanov will take CHRF after the holidays.
I noted this last week. The station was not a commercial station and never ran ads. I have no idea how they were being supported. 10 months isn’t enough time to give a format any traction.
Such a simple logo. An old fashioned “AM 980”. Great stunt logo anyway.