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The Montreal Alouettes have a new home on French-language radio in Montreal. On Friday, a week before the team's first preseason game, the team announced that 99.5 FM, owned by Leclerc Communication, had acquired the French-language radio rights and will broadcast every game starting this season, including preseason games.
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The deal ends a long association with Cogeco's 98.5 FM, which has broadcast Alouettes games since the shutdown of sister station CKAC Sports in 2011.
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English-language radio rights continue to be held by Bell Media's TSN 690.
No announcement had been made on who will do play-by-play announcing or analysis for 99.5. On-air talent "will be announced at a later date," it said. Jean St-Onge and Jean-Philippe Bolduc handled those duties at 98.5.
The announcement was surprising mainly because 99.5 doesn't broadcast live sports, instead simulcasting most of its content from Quebecor's Qub Radio service during the day and airing pop and rock music evenings and weekends. Quebecor is owned by Pierre Karl Péladeau, who also owns the Alouettes.
“This partnership represents an important step in the development of our station and will allow us to offer our listeners sports coverage that is unifying, passionate and deeply rooted in Montreal," Benoit Simard, general manager and programming director of 99.5 Montreal, said in a statement.
“We remain confident that the Leclerc Communication group will help showcase our team across the province by giving it excellent visibility throughout Quebec,” said René Masson, the Alouettes' chief operations and financial officer. “Ultimately, all of our football fans will be the real winners as they’ll be able to get even more access to the team and players via this new deal.”
Leclerc also owns WKND 91.9 and BLVD 102.1 in Quebec City, though for now it says listeners outside Montreal will be able to listen to games through the station's app.
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