CHMP-FM (98.5 MHz) is a French language talk radio station serving the Greater Montreal Area and licensed to the off-Island suburb of Longueuil. Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts as a Class C1 station, using an omnidirectional antenna atop Mount Royal, at 298.9 metres (981') in height above average terrain (HAAT). CHMP's studios and offices are located at Place Bonaventure in downtown Montreal.
The station identifies itself as 98,5 FM and is one of the few full-time FM talk stations in North America to broadcast in stereo. The station has a few music blocks, during weekends.
Notable personalities include popular morning drive time host Paul Arcand, midday host and former Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions and Active Citizenship in 2012 under Pauline Marois, Bernard Drainville, weekend morning host Paul Houde, former NHL referee and late-night sports talk host Ron Fournier and popular journalist Patrick Lagacé, who hosts the afternoon drive time show. Former mayor of Montreal’s Le Plateau-Mont-Royal district and environmentalist Luc Ferrandez and former Mulroney government diplomat Luc Lavoie also appear daily as collaborators. Gilles Proulx was also heard on the station from 2004 until his retirement on August 7, 2008.
History
CIEL-FM
In 1976, Stephane Venne applied for the license to operate a new station on the FM dial in Longueuil. He initially wanted 93.5 MHz (Channel 228) with a power of 10,000 watts, but this frequency was granted to CBC Radio for CBM-FM. On January 20, 1977, Radio MF CIEL (1976) Inc. got permission to use call sign CIEL-FM ("Ciel" is French for "sky"). The station went on the air April 9, 1977 with 10,000 watts, airing a French-language adult contemporary radio format. Stephane Venne was the general manager and program director.
On October 17, 1978, Radio MF CIEL (1976) was sold to Stereo Laval Inc which also owned CFGL-FM in Laval. In 1981, Stereo Laval was purchased by Placements Roland Saucier Inc. and ownership of CIEL was transferred to a holding entity called Radio MF CIEL (1981) Inc.
In 1987, CIEL moved its antenna from Mont Saint-Bruno to Mount Royal and reduced its power from 100,000 watts to 45,000 watts, and then to 40,800 in 1988.
In the early 1990s, CIEL changed to French hot adult contemporary as the softer AC format was filled by rivals CFGL-FM and CITE-FM
Throughout its 23 years with the CIEL-FM call sign, the station's studios were located on St-Charles Street in Old Longueuil, but the station served the entire Greater Montreal area.
Cool FM
In 1998, owner Jean-Pierre Coallier sold CIEL-FM to Metromedia CMR. On August 8, 2000, the station's call letters were changed to CKOO-FM as it switched to a modern rock format branded as Cool FM. (Even though the station broadcast in French, it used the English word "cool" to identify itself.) CKOO's offices and studios moved from Longueuil to Verdun in 1999. In 2001, the format flipped to mainstream rock when Corus Entertainment acquired the station, and the format was changed again to classic rock in 2003. The "Cool" branding continued to be used although the various rock formats failed to attract many listeners. CKOO wanted to become the first French-language rock station in the Montreal area. It took inspiration from CHOI-FM in Quebec City, a successful rock station broadcasting in French. (For some years in the 1970s and 80s, CHOM-FM had broadcast progressive rock in both English and French but was never a full-time French rock station.)
With rock music failing to gain traction in Montreal, Corus announced on November 27, 2003, that the station would flip to a talk format starting in 2004. Following the announcement, all "Cool" programs were cancelled and the station played continuous Christmas music for the rest of the year.
CHMP-FM
On January 5, 2004, the new talk format made its debut, with the CHMP-FM call sign and the branding 98,5 FM, Le FM parlé de Montréal. The CHMP-FM call letters became official by spring 2004.
With Paul Arcand as host, 98,5 FM rapidly climbed to the top of the Montreal ratings with 1,133,000 listeners and 120,000 visitors on its website.
CHMP is the last station to broadcast from the legendary 211 Gordon Avenue studios in Verdun, which had been home to CKVL and CKOI-FM for decades. The station moved to new studios in Place Bonaventure in Downtown Montreal on July 29, 2006. The old 211 Gordon Avenue studios were demolished in December 2006.