News release via Canada News Wire
Change of format for 940 Montreal
MONTREAL, June 6 /CNW Telbec/ - Corus Quebec announced today that radio
station 940 Montreal will soon introduce a new format. The station will change
from talk radio to a Greatest Hits music format on June 14. Corus Quebec plans
to give the dial position a new voice to help maintain radio diversity in
Montreal.
"We have spent years building a strong team that developed strong content
for the 940 Montreal listeners. Unfortunately, continued disappointing ratings
have sent us the clear message from our listeners that a format change was
required" said Mario Cecchini, Vice President, Montreal and Quebec Regions.
"We will continue to keep two news journalists at 940 Montreal open and look
forward to serving our audiences with the new format."
The company confirmed that 18 people were affected by the format change.

Anybody got the backgrund here?  Was Corus the second anglo talk radio station behind CJAD, and there just aren't enough anglos left in Montreal to support two AM talkers?    That's my best guess.

Interesting that AM 940 is officially CINW. similar to the Corus vancouver talk powerhouse.  It has roots as Canada's (possibly the world's) first radio station, Canada Marconi's XWA beginning in 1919, which evolved into the much-respected CFCF call letters from 1920 to 1991.

Not being terribly familiar with the Montreal radio market, I can only speculate on the demise of 940 Montreal. When they signed on in early 2000 (along with their French-language counterpart Info 690), the station was an all-news outlet patterned after the rogers stations. But somewhere along the line, I think 2-3 years ago, they decided to turn it into a news/talk hybrid, going after CJAD but with more of a news and information focus. This is where they lost it IMO. By trying to be everything to everyone they essentially alienated their serious news listeners.
While its a switch to see an AM station move from news/talk to music, Montreal is way overdue for an oldies (ahem..."greatest hits" station. The format hasn't been heard since Oldies 990/CKGM switched to all sports in May of 2001. Any thoughts on the new name/branding? Cool 94? Perhaps Ralph Lockwood is tired of selling cars and ready to go back on the air.

True, it's a switch, but it's a welcome switch. Going from the dull-as-used-dishwater talk format back to a music format is always welcome news to me.

Didn't CFCF used to be 660 on the dial?  I don't remember it being near CKGM at all?

Mon Dieu! ze talk is kaput dans la Montreal... incroyable!

Radio news staff get pink slip
Struggling AM station 940 News plans switch to 'greatest hits' music format
by PAUL DELEAN
The Montreal Gazette
Published: Saturday, June 07

940 News made news itself yesterday, much to the chagrin of more than a dozen on-air contributors and producers.

They'll be losing their jobs next week as part of a radical format change at the English-language AM radio station, which is switching from news, traffic and talk to mostly music, starting Friday.

Among those cut loose was veteran broadcaster Dennis Trudeau, who's been hosting a show on the station since September.

"I went into private radio with my eyes open," Trudeau said.

"I was having a great time but knew somebody could walk up to me one day and say, 'Thank you.' Today was that day." The station, which counted Jim Duff, Joe Cannon and Aphrodite Salas among its marquee talkers, reportedly will keep some of its news team to fulfill regulatory requirements, but otherwise plans to go with a "greatest hits" music format.

940 News is one of 53 radio stations owned by Corus Entertainment, one of Canada's largest media and entertainment companies. It reported net earnings of $35.3 million in the latest quarter ended Feb. 29.

A station executive who went on the air shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday said the ratings simply weren't there and they needed to try something else.

Sources said the plan was to reveal the change only next week, but executives were pushed to act yesterday after being called about it by other local media.

The station 940 News got its start in 1999 as the successor to CIQC. Initially a news, weather, sports and traffic station, it gradually integrated talk and opinion into its format.

pdelean@thegazette.canwest.com

Quoted from Lawrence

Didn't CFCF used to be 660 on the dial?  I don't remember it being near CKGM at all?

CFCF was at 600 until the late 90's or 2000. WNBC (Now WFAN) had the 660 signal and would come into Montreal nightly.

Montreal's CFCF (Canada's First, Canada's Finest) was at 600 khz from 1933 until Sept 1991 when the calls were changed to CIQC for an ill-fated foray into country music.  The move to 940 khz was made in Dec 1999 after the CBC vacated the frequency, and an all-news format was introduced.  The 600 khz transmitter signed off April 23 2000 after 4 months of simulcasting.  AM 940 evolved into news-talk in Sept 2005.

(This history courtesy of Wikipedia.)

Quoted from Donovan

Perhaps Ralph Lockwood is tired of selling cars and ready to go back on the air.

Ralph Lockwood...now that's a blast from the past! Growing up in Montreal and listening to Ralph, I can still remember the old Dorion Suits commercials.