Rythme FM is a network of

French-language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in No ...

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

s broadcasting in most major markets of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...

. The network was created and owned by

Cogeco Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian telecommunications and media company. Its corporate offices are located at 1 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec. The company is structured into three strategic business units (SBU); Cogeco Connexion, Breezeline ...

History

The brand "Rythme FM" was introduced in January 1999 at

CFGL-FM CFGL-FM (105.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station serving Greater Montreal, airing a French Soft Adult Contemporary radio format. It is the flagship of the Rythme FM network, which operates across much of Quebec. The station is licensed to the of ...

in the

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

market, and the network was created after Cogeco received new licences in other markets in 2002 and 2003. CFGL-FM is the most-listened to French-language station in North America. The Rythme FM network is in direct competition against

Rouge FM Rouge FM is a network of French-language adult contemporary radio stations broadcasting throughout Quebec, Canada. Established in 1990 as RockDétente, they are owned by Bell Media. All "Rouge FM" stations broadcast in the same markets as Bell' ...

; both networks offer a very similar product, with Rouge FM having a marginally

hot AC Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, qui ...

-leaning sound compared to Rythme FM, which leans somewhat more towards oldies/classic hits. On April 30,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, Cogeco announced it would purchase

Corus Quebec Corus may refer to: Places *Çörüş, Gazipaşa, a village in Antalya Province, Turkey Facilities and structures * Corus Quay, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; an office tower Fictional locations * Corus, a fictional world that is the setting for the ...

's radio stations. The sale was approved by the CRTC on December 17, 2010; one of the conditions, however, stipulated that Rythme FM outlet

CJEC-FM CJEC-FM (WKND 91.9) is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec. Owned and operated by Leclerc Communication, it broadcasts on 91.9 MHz using a directional antenna with an average effective radiated power of 13,9 ...

in Quebec City must be sold to another party by December 2011. On November 9, 2011, it was announced that Cogeco would sell CJEC-FM, as well as

CFEL-FM CFEL-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec, but the station's official city of license is Lévis. Owned and operated by Leclerc Communication Inc., it is a Class C1 FM station which broadcasts on 102.1 ...

, to Leclerc Communication Inc., a company owned by Quebec City businessman Jacques Leclerc, owner of

Laura Secord Chocolates Laura Secord s.e.c is a Canadian chocolatier, confectionery, and ice cream company. It was named after the Canadian heroine Laura Secord. In 1813, Laura Secord, pioneer wife and mother of seven children, made a dangerous 19-mile (30-km) journey ...

and

Biscuits Leclerc A biscuit is a flour-based baked and shaped food product. In most countries biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be s ...

. Following Leclerc's takeover of CJEC-FM, that station continued to carry Rythme FM's branding and networked programming until May 21, 2012, when it dropped its branding and programming in favour of its own programming, relaunched on June 20, 2012 as ''WKND 91.9''. As Cogeco opted to leave its other stations in Quebec City,

CFOM-FM CFOM-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec, licensed to Lévis. The station has a hot adult contemporary format since August 2014. Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 102.9 MHz using a directi ...

and

CJMF-FM CJMF-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec. Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 93.3 MHz with an effective radiated power of 32,960 watts ( class C1) using an omnidirectional antenna. The stati ...

, as they are for the short term, it leaves the Quebec City area without a Rythme FM affiliate. On August 16, 2011,

CIME-FM CIME-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, about north of Montreal. Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 103.9 MHz using a directional antenna with an average effective radiated power ...

Saint-Jérôme Saint-Jérôme () ( 2021 population 80,213) is a suburban city located about northwest of Montreal on the Rivière du Nord. It is part of the Montreal of Greater Montreal. It is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its resorts via the ...

became part of Rythme FM network and added programming from Rythme FM and also adopted imaging and slogan of Rythme FM, but kept its CIME branding. On August 25, 2014, following an agreement with

RNC Media RNC Media (formerly ''Radio-Nord Communications'') is a Canadian broadcasting group based in Westmount, Quebec, with offices in Gatineau and Rouyn-Noranda. The company operates five television stations and several radio stations, mostly in Que ...

CHLX-FM CHLX-FM (97.1 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Gatineau, Quebec, serving the National Capital Region including Ottawa. A francophone station owned by RNC Media, CHLX airs a format of French-language adult contemporary with some jazz. ...

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's N ...

became an affiliate of Rythme FM, adopting its branding, becoming the first non-Cogeco station to affiliate with that network (other than CJEC-FM). This will follow on March 9, 2015 with the rebranding of RNC-owned

CHOA-FM CHOA-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 96.5 FM broadcasting, FM in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. The station has an adult contemporary format branded as ''Wow 96.5''. Owned and operated by Arsenal Media, the station aired an adult conte ...

Rouyn-Noranda Rouyn-Noranda ( 2021 population 42,313) is a city on Osisko Lake in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, Canada. The city of Rouyn-Noranda is a coextensive with a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and census d ...

, expanding the Rythme FM network to the

Abitibi-Témiscamingue Abitibi-Témiscamingue () is an administrative region located in western Québec, Canada, along the border with Ontario. It became part of the province in 1898. It has a land area of and its population was 146,717 people as of the 2016 Census. ...

region;Fagstein: "Rythme FM expands with third new affiliate in six months", December 17, 2014.
/ref> ironically, CHOA-FM was once an affiliate of Rythme FM's competitor, RockDétente (now Rouge FM), before rebranding to ''Couleur FM'' in the mid-2000s. On November 26, 2014, it was announced that Attraction Radio stations CKRS-FM (later reassigned

CILM-FM CILM-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saguenay, Quebec. The station carries adult contemporary format as part of the Rythme FM network. Owned by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 98.3 MHz using a directional antenna with an ave ...

) 98.3 and

CKGS-FM CKGS-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saguenay, Quebec. The station serves the borough of La Baie. Owned and operated by Arsenal Media (formerly Attraction Radio), it broadcasts on 105.5 MHz with an effective radiated p ...

105.5 in Saguenay will join the Rythme FM network beginning February 9, 2015; this followed the

CRTC The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...

's approval to increase the amount of music hours for CKRS.Fagstein: "CKRS-FM Saguenay wants to become a Rythme FM station", May 27, 2014.
/ref> This would bring the Rythme FM affiliate and branding to every major market in Quebec, except Quebec City. On August 22, 2016, CIME-FM, which adopted Rythme FM's logo styling (but not its name) and some of its programming, left the Rythme network and adopted a new slogan: "La Couleur Musicale des Laurentides". The ''CIME'' branding would expand to

CJLA-FM CJLA-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Lachute, Quebec. Owned and operated by Cogeco following its 2018 acquisition of most of the stations formerly owned by RNC Media, it broadcasts on 104.9 MHz using an omnidirectiona ...

Lachute, Quebec Lachute () is a town in southwest Quebec, Canada, northwest of Montreal, on the Rivière du Nord (Laurentides), Rivière du Nord, a tributary of the Ottawa River, and west of Mirabel International Airport. It is located on Quebec Autoroute 50, Au ...

and

CHPR-FM CHPR-FM is a Canadian radio station, which airs at 102.1 FM in Hawkesbury, Ontario. Owned and operated by Cogeco following its 2018 acquisition of most of the stations formerly owned by RNC Media, the station airs a francophone adult contempora ...

Hawkesbury, Ontario Hawkesbury is a Franco-Ontarian city in Prescott-Russell county in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The vast majority of its 10,550 inhabitants are francophone. The Long-Sault Bridge links it to Grenville, Quebec to the north. This bridge, crossing ...

following Cogeco's acquisition of these stations from RNC Media in 2018. In January 2017, CHLX-FM dropped Rythme FM and re-branded as ''Wow 97.1'', which they continue to use to this day. On August 7. 2017, its sister station, CHOA-FM, dropped Rythme FM and re-branded similarly as ''Wow FM''. In April 2018, Cogeco acquired CHOA-FM, but kept the ''Wow FM'' branding. On March 24, 2022, Arsenal Media (formerly Attraction Radio) acquired CHOA-FM, still branded as ''WOW FM''. In August 2018, Attraction Radio abandoned the Rythme FM network affiliation on CILM-FM and CKGS-FM for its in-house branding, "O". Cogeco would acquire CILM-FM from Arsenal Media on April 25, 2022, reintroducing the Rythme FM branding in Saguenay in the process. On August 16, 2021, the Rythme FM branding was reintroduced to Quebec City when Cogeco-owned

changed its branding from ''M 102.9''. This led the return of the Rythme FM branding and format to the Quebec City market since CJEC-FM's disaffiliation and sale in 2012.

Rythme FM stations

Cogeco-owned

* Laval /

105.7 MHz *

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

102.1 MHz * Saguenay (

Chicoutimi Chicoutimi () is the most populous borough (arrondissement) of the city of Saguenay in Quebec, Canada. It is situated at the confluence of the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers. During the 20th century, it became the main administrative and co ...

) -

98.3 MHz *

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional cou ...

- CFGE-FM 93.7 MHz *

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...

- CJEB-FM 100.1 MHz

Former affiliated stations

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

97.1 MHz (owned by

) * Saguenay (

La Baie La Baie (French pronunciation: / la bɛ/, Quebec French pronunciation: / la be/) is one of three boroughs in the city of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. It was created during Quebec's municipal reorganization in 2002. From 1976 to 2001, it was know ...

) -

105.5 MHz (owned by Arsenal Media) *

96.5 MHz (owned by Arsenal Media); repeaters in

Val-d'Or Val-d'Or (, , ; "Golden Valley" or "Valley of Gold") is a city in Quebec, Canada with a population of 32,752 inhabitants according to the Canada 2021 Census. The city is located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region near La Vérendrye Wildlif ...

(103.5 MHz) and

La Sarre La Sarre is a town in northwestern Quebec, Canada, and is the most populous town and seat of the Abitibi-Ouest Regional County Municipality. It is located at the intersection of Routes 111 and 393, on the La Sarre River, a tributary of Lake A ...

(103.9 MHz) *

''(as "CIME")'' 103.9 MHz

Former stations

''(now owned by Leclerc Communication; rebranded as "WKND 91.9")''

Programming

Bonjour

''Bonjour

egion Aigio, also written as ''Aeghion, Aegion, Aegio, Egio'' ( el, Αίγιο, Aígio, ; la, Aegium), is a town and a former municipality in Achaea, West Greece, on the Peloponnese. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipa ...

' is Rythme FM's breakfast program, broadcast weekdays between 5:30am and 8:30am. Each station has its own set of hosts and news reporters. The show mixes music with reports on the latest news and the world of showbiz. Formerly, the show had the name of ''Rythmez vos matins''. At first, the show was called ''Les Matins de

Montreal

* Philippe Pépin, Marie-Ève Janvier and Stéphane Bellavance (hosts) * Valérie Leboeuf (newsreader) * Jessika Brazeau (showbiz newsreader) * Michel Harvey (traffic reporter)

Hosts in other regions

* Karl Blanchard, Christine Plamondon and Marc-Antoine Munez (Mauricie) * Sébastien Bouchard and Isabelle Peron (Estrie) * Mathieu Beauregard, Marie-Christine Bernard and Jean-François Desbiens (Saugenay)

Rythme au travail

''Rythme au travail'' is Rythme FM's weekday commercial-free music block, heard 8:30am-11:30am and 1pm-4pm, except Friday afternoons in Mauricie, where it airs 1pm-3pm.

Hosts

* Julie Bélanger (Montréal) * Claudia Ébacher (Mauricie) * Isabelle David (Estrie) * Valérie Saulnier (Saguenay)

Mitsou et Jean-Philippe

''Mitsou et Jean-Philippe'' is Rythme FM's lunchtime program hosted by Mitsou Gélinas et Jean-Philippe Dion, airing 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on all stations.

Des hits dans l'trafic

''Des hits dans l'trafic'' is the afternoon drive program, hosted by Marie-Soleil Michon et Sébastien Benoît and airing across the network Monday-Thursday afternoons from 4pm to 6pm. Last year, it replaced ''Le Show Du Retour'' with Marie-Soleil Michon and Patrick Marsolais; that show's predecessor was ''Véro Show'', hosted by

Véronique Cloutier Véronique Cloutier (born December 31, 1974), also known as Véro, is a popular French Canadian TV and radio personality. She is the daughter of Guy Cloutier and the sister of Stéphanie Cloutier. She has hosted various programs on Radio-Canada, in ...

Contributors

* Ricardo (Monday - cooking) * Sylvie Lavallée (Tuesday - sexuality) * Jean-Philippe Dion (Wednesday - showbiz) * Guylaine Tremblay (Thursday - milestones) * Véronique Cloutier (daily - personal chronicles)

La Playlist

''La Playlist'' is a weekday countdown of Rythme FM's top three most-requested songs of that day amongst the station's other hits, heard weekdays 6 pm and 8 pm and hosted by Denis Fortin.

Soirée à votre rythme

''Soirée à votre rythme'' is the evening/early late night program, heard everyday 8pm and midnight. This program is hosted by Stéphane Richard \Monday to Thursday, and Marie-Andrée Hamel Friday through Sunday. Unlike Rythme FM's other programs, which utilize a playlist of French and English hits, ''Soirée à votre rythme'' broadcasts only Francophone hits.

Les nuits 100% musique

''Les nuits 100% musique'' is Rythme FM's overnight program, broadcasting from 12 midnight to 5:30 a.m. weekdays or 6 a.m. weekends. An automated hostless program, the program features mainly English pop-dance music, with songs from other pop genres and francophone tunes included.

Les weekends à...

''Les weekends à ost's name' is heard Fridays at 4pm (3pm in Mauricie) to 8pm and the weekends from 11am to 4pm; a mix of pop, dance and rock music, with information on the weekend's events in the region it serves.

Hosts

* Mario Lirette (Montréal) * Alexandre Trudel (Mauricie) * Michel Lafrance (Estrie) * Samuel Gagné Rosière (Saguenay)

Showbiz Weekend

''Showbiz Weekend'' is the weekend breakfast program, heard across the network 6am-9am. Julie Desjardins (or her substitute hosts, Émilie Brassard or Julie St-Pierre) focuses on the weekend's events in each Rythme FM-served region, as well as the latest celebrity and showbiz news. The show's music mix is primarily Francophone, with some English songs included.

25 ans de hits

''25 ans de hits'' features the top Francophone and Anglophone hits of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, heard Saturday morning 9am-11am on the network. François Fortin is the show's host. The show was previously named ''Souriez, c'est Samedi!'', hosted by Philippe Pépin.

Le party dance

''Le party dance'' is Rythme FM's Saturday night dance music program, airing 4pm-8pm. The majority of the program's music mix is dance and disco music from the 1980s and 1990s, along with celebrity news fashion tips and some competitions, plus special requests from listeners. François Fortin hosts.

Dimanche 90

''Dimanche 90'' is the Sunday morning classic hits show, with music ranged from the 1960s to the 2000s, hosted by Nadia Bilodeau. It currently airs 9am-11am. It was originally named ''Le Palmarès'' with Sébastien Benoît, featuring the week's most requested songs. The year before, this slot was occupied by ''Le Dimanche, C'est Le Bonheur'' with ''Francisco Randez''.

Les hits 90 - 2000

''Les hits 90 - 2000'' is the Sunday night greatest hits show, airing 4pm-8pm and hosted by Francois Fortin. Before, it was called ''Weekend 80-90'' and hosted by Philippe Pépin.

References

External link

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rythme Fm Cogeco radio stations Canadian radio networks French-language radio in Canada Radio formats Radio stations in Quebec Soft adult contemporary radio stations in Canada Radio stations established in 1999 1999 establishments in Canada