A new chapter begins this week in the history of radio in Quebec. Paul Arcand, the undisputed king of the airwaves for nearly 35 years, will host his final show on Friday. Undoubtedly, there will be a period of mourning for thousands of listeners. Over the years, his voice has become familiar to us, and his presence almost comforting every morning. However, the man behind the microphone seems relatively unknown to us.
“He is very discreet about his private life. He never talks about it. It’s not because he’s unfriendly. On the contrary, he is very warm, very empathetic. He is just naturally discreet. In the 15 years I worked with him, I never knew who he voted for, for example,” summarizes Serge Amyot, who was his researcher for a long time.
Indeed, it’s hard to say who Paul Arcand votes for, as he has had his fair share of clashes with politicians of all political stripes. Except for his brother Pierre, a former Liberal elected official, whom he never wanted to interview for obvious reasons. Apart from his family, not much is known about him, except that he has been in a relationship for several years and has two sons, both working in the media industry.
Perhaps his loved ones have adopted the monastic lifestyle that comes with being a morning show host? When asked about it, the 64-year-old seasoned host, who wakes up at dawn and claims to work seven days a week, nervously laughs. He stutters, he who never lacks words when improvising every morning at 6 am during his news review. “I’m not sure how to answer that. I think, for any job, there are constraints. If your father is a policeman, he has atypical hours. If your mother is a doctor as well.” Thus, he dodges, like those politicians whose double talk he abhors.
“I have never marketed my personal life. My wife and children are not part of a marketing plan,” Paul Arcand clarifies, who has always avoided social events and the spotlight.
The Everyday Paul
This introvert by nature prefers to ask questions rather than answer them. But since announcing two years ago that he would not renew his contract with 98.5 FM, he has been approached from all sides for interviews. “I don’t like it very much. Let’s just say that when it’s over, I will have had my quota for several years,” he says with a laugh.
In private, it is said that Paul Arcand has a good sense of humor. His sometimes cutting humor plays a valuable role in bonding his team. One might think he is stern, given the firmness with which he conducts some interviews. By hearing him rant every morning against the “fools” and the slowness of bureaucratic machines, some might also think he has a temperamental character. However, that would not be the case.
“When I started hosting on CJMS, the bosses could have had every reason to fire me. It wasn’t very good! But, it eventually worked out,” Paul Arcand recalls.
“It’s very nice to work with him. The Paul in everyday life is much closer to the Paul on the air at 5:30 am, who is relaxed and tells jokes with his team. It’s not the Paul at 7:25 am, who confronts his guests,” observes Émilie Perreault, who was a cultural columnist on his show from 2012 to 2018.
Man of Instinct
In the course of this portrait, Le Devoir was able to speak to nearly a dozen former colleagues who worked with Paul Arcand at different times. They all praise his rigor, erudition, and intuition. “What I like about him is that, even though he is number one, he has never rested on his laurels. He has never been afraid to take risks to improve the show. He even chose Monic Néron to replace Claude Poirier in crime news. That had to be done! I don’t think you can find two more different people,” highlights Émilie Perreault.
Indeed, to remain at the top, it is not enough to coddle the listener by offering what they want to hear. Sometimes you have to dare to stand up to them. Like when Paul Arcand chose Luc Ferrandez, the former mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal and a staunch opponent of solo driving, as a columnist. At first glance, it was an counterintuitive decision, knowing that a good portion of 98.5 FM listeners live in the 450 area and listen to the radio when they are in their cars.
“When we announced Luc Ferrandez’s arrival, I received so many emails from listeners saying they would never listen to the show again. But I wanted a guy with more left-wing ideas to have a voice on our airwaves. And in the end, people stayed. If you always rely on people’s first reactions, either you never make a decision, or you make the wrong decisions,” points out the man who will become one of La Presse’s contributors in the fall.
If he has any advice for his successor, Patrick Lagacé, it is exactly that. You have to give time for the audience to adjust, not be discouraged by initial comments. “Patrick has everything he needs to succeed. But you have to let the listener get used to the change. You shouldn’t pay attention to the comments at the beginning. When I started hosting on CJMS, the bosses could have had every reason to fire me. It wasn’t very good! But, it eventually worked out,” recalls Canada’s most listened-to radio host.
The Untouchable King
However, those who knew him at the beginning of his career at CJMS remember him as a prodigy. An innate talent. “It was clear that he was going to become a huge radio star. He already exuded a natural authority. Because of his imposing physique, but also because of his intelligence. Intellectually, we are talking about someone superior,” recalls Paul Larocque, who started in the business at the same time as him on the airwaves of the now-defunct AM radio.
The anchor of TVA talks about Paul Arcand with the same admiration as Émilie Perreault, now host of the cultural show Il restera toujours la culture on ICI Première. That’s where all of Arcand’s success lies; he manages to speak to both TVA and Radio-Canada listeners. His show is listened to by truck drivers, taxi drivers, blue-collar workers… But also by ministerial cabinet employees and senior officials, for whom the 7 a.m. political column has become a must-listen, as what is said sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Paul Arcand can talk candidly about politics, economics, international news, and then pivot to the most scandalous crime story. It is also said that he was completely absorbed in the O. J. Simpson case in 1994. No one has that versatility, and that’s why no one has as wide a reach as him. According to the latest spring figures from Numeris, Puisqu’il faut se lever captures nearly 37% of the market share between 5:30 am and 9 am.
The man himself could boast about it, but instead, he shows astonishing humility. “I have also had my share of failures. It’s far from a perfect career,” he emphasizes, as if embarrassed by his radio accomplishments.
He remembers his rocky start on television in the late 1990s at TQS. The host also recalls Quebec sur ordonnance, his second documentary as a director, criticized upon its release in 2007. “The subject was good, but it wasn’t a good film. The critics were right. When a radio show is bad, it’s not a big deal, we start over the next day. But a film, unfortunately, you can’t redo it once it’s out,” says the man who is currently working on a documentary about Claude Poirier.
He will also continue to collaborate with 98.5 FM for podcasts. There is no shortage of projects for this retirement that is not really a retirement. Stopping is not part of the plans for this workaholic. Would he be capable of it?