This morning came the announcement that TSN Radio 990 will at some unnamed point in 2013, cease to exist. Some of the programing, including Habs games, will go to Bell’s recently purchased CJAD 800, but there will (as far as today’s news goes) be no more all sports English talk radio in the city of Montreal.
TSN’s long planned moved to the 690 frequency is still happening, although the station will now be RDS 690. RDS’s new radio station will fill the void left behind by the similarly devastating changes at CKAC, but to see a popular English radio station abruptly torn apart and forced to change to French is a tough pill to swallow for English Habs fans.
The change was spurred on by Bell’s acquisition of Astral Media earlier in the year, including CJAD 800, which resulted in Bell owning too many English language radio stations in the city, which conflicts with laws put in place to protect against monopolies by the CRTC.
Considering the market, it is completely understandable that a French language all sports talk radio station is an absolute must. RDS radio should exist and thrive in Montreal, but for it to come at the cannibalization of the only all sports talk radio station in English is a sad, horrible situation.
My thoughts go out to all those at TSN Radio 990 whose jobs will be affected by this change.
