If you are one of the die-hard fans of The Normandeau-Ferrandez Commission on 98.5 FM, know that you will have the pleasure of meeting these two brilliant analysts in a new three-hour show launching in Fall 2024.
Published at 12:05 p.m.
The announcement came on Thursday afternoon when Nathalie Normandeau appeared on her partner Luc Ferrandez’s show. This show, which does not yet have a name, will take place from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the time slot currently occupied by Sans Réserve.
As every morning, the program Puisqu’il aussi se leva will discuss current topics with Paul Arcand, the former deputy prime minister under the Jean Charest government and the former mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal, and the guests will cook together. Luc Ferrandez explained it to me in an interview.
We will cover some current topics in detail. It’s not news, it’s analysis. There will definitely be positions.
Luc Ferrandez
After being on the air every day for three years, Nathalie Normandeau and Luc Ferrandez have found a tone that listeners really like. They manage to create a balance between a well-understood “getting on board” and a sense of humor that sometimes defuses moments of tension.
“That’s exactly it,” said Nathalie Normandeau. Luc has an incredible sense of humor and I’m a good viewer. In fact, the creation of this project is due to our complicity. The listeners appreciate it so much that we created this show at their request. »
It’s not out of the question that the show will provide a place for listeners. “In fact, it will be a fusion of The Normandeau Effect and Without Reserve,” adds Nathalie Normandeau. But we want to go further and put on a signature show. »
Nathalie Normandeau has already hosted a show in Quebec with Éric Duhaime. But for Luc Ferrandez, this long-term tandem formula is something new. Co-hosting is one of the most difficult jobs in radio. How do the two moderators see this challenge?
“First of all, we are not in competition,” says Nathalie Normandeau. We respect each other very much. There are many topics on which we have different opinions. Therefore, it is important to incorporate values of kindness between us. »
“I really respect Nathalie’s work,” Luc Ferrandez continues. I can tell you that I wouldn’t be able to work with her if she came up with a two-sentence pitch. However, this is not the case. It represents detailed viewpoints based on facts and values. »
I enjoy listening to these two analysts because they are never boring. Like the Politics Buffs team, they are solid, fearless and can make us believe that we can tackle serious issues with good humor. Above all, they avoid falling into the trap of easy and profitable irony towards the political class.
The question was burning on my lips: could Nathalie Normandeau and Luc Ferrandez have become friends in life if there hadn’t been the idea of bringing them together on the radio? In unison and with loud laughter they told me “No!”
“We have completely different backgrounds and equally different attitudes to life,” says Luc Ferrandez. I don’t think we would have approached each other. Or we would have ended up crossing each other on the street. I would have ridden my bike and she would have ridden the car. I would have said to him: “Hey, get out of the bike path.” »
“And I would have given him the finger,” adds Nathalie Normandeau with a laugh.
“However, I was very intimidated about working with Luc. I listened to him and realized he knew things. I wondered if I would be up to it. This attitude is deeply feminine. »
“Indeed, because I think Nathalie is the best commissioner in the history of the Commission,” says Luc Ferrandez. Mayor, deputy prime minister, host… I don’t know many people who have that kind of background. »
Nathalie Normandeau takes the opportunity to throw some flowers to the tandem she forms with Luc Ferrandez. “There is no radio duo that can compete with our shared professional and life experience. You won’t find that anywhere. »
This major change to the 98.5 schedule, which will coincide with Patrick Lagacé’s move to the morning slot in August 2024, inevitably brings with it several other new features.
First of all, this means that new analysts will be recruited for the morning. This does not mean that we will maintain the Commission’s current formula. Nothing has been decided at the moment.
The other big change will affect returning home. I’m told 98.5 bosses had “a very good idea” about who will end up behind the microphone.
And then we have to create a new show for the 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. slot. What will this show’s mission be between two boxes where “pure and hard news” takes up all the space? Will we use this to create a lighter, magazine-like formula?
Further announcements will be made after the holidays.