Stéphane Venne, the radio man | The Press

Everyone is talking about Stéphane Venne these days, and with good reason.

But no media has yet talked about his great contribution to the radio broadcasting of Quebec music.

I met Stéphane in 1976, when he recruited me to build with him the CIEL-MF radio station in Longueuil (Stéphane insisted on saying MF, “frequency modulation” in French, instead of FM, the term English).

He had obtained a license from the CRTC on the basis of a radio broadcasting only French-speaking Quebec music, a first in Canada! “Words and music of local people” would be the slogan.

We worked hard, a whole tight-knit little gang, to get on the air on time on April 9, 1977. Starting with the station’s famous musical theme^⁠composed by Stéphane, with a religious touch referring to the divine “Heaven”! Remember¹…

At the microphones, hosts all lovers of Quebec music, including Marc Gélinas, Michel Trahan, Gilles Quenneville, Danielle Marchand, Stéphane of course, and myself. I was co-hosting the weekend with Danielle; also during the week in a small daily show, a departure from Quebec music, since I presented the “great hits” of classical music.

How many singers took flight during interviews with Stéphane, broadcast on our airwaves. I think, among others, of Diane Tell, whom I see again, very petite with her big glasses, arriving in the studio with her guitar.

CIEL, the only station in the FM band that had its own information department, with its journalists, including local news from Longueuil and the greater South Shore region in its bulletins.

Mon boss Stéphane, since I was also production director, was a visionary, a man ahead of his time, an intellectual with great culture, not only musically, but also on every subject, and of course a convinced nationalist. Besides, he was the one who created the song Tomorrow belongs to us for the Parti Québécois electoral campaign, which ended in victory in 1976.

I could talk to you about Stéphane at length, because I have learned over the years, and until very recently, to know some of the many facets of this fascinating man. And also by his partner, my long-time friend known at CIEL, Marie Dumais, who surrounded the man during her 44 years of living together with him.

Yes, Stéphane Venne is a great player in Quebec song, but also a great radio innovator, who knew how to put forward Quebec music more than in any other station in the province.

Stéphane, I dare to refer to your great song, hoping that, where you are, “you have found peace in your heart and not elsewhere”. Rest in this peace.

1. Listen to the CIEL-FM theme music

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