Benoît Brunet, Alain Crête, Gaston Therrien and the monuncles of RDS continue to haunt the RDS screens, faithful to a network which refuses to modernize.
The Sports Network seems unable to escape its old habits, preferring to rely on its “veterans” rather than offering a platform to young talents.
Brunet, far from being unanimous and still present this evening during intermissions, continues to mutter banalities already known, without bringing the slightest originality.
The public has no grip on its back, and complaints pile up day after day.
According to a source close to the RDS public relations department, the network is strongly criticized for refusing to rejuvenate itself.
Viewers, tired of uninspired analyses, are calling for a breath of fresh air. Brunet, with his often difficult to understand interventions, is not the only one to symbolize this status quo: Gaston Therrien, Norman Flynn and Alain Crête contribute to the impression of a network disconnected from reality.
Meanwhile, TVA Sports is taking a decidedly different approach. We are focusing on youth. Anthony Martineau, for example, stands out for the quality of his work, precisely because he is given the means to do so.
The comparison is cruel for RDS, where many journalists remain in the shadows, blocked by the persistent presence of the “monuncles” of the old era.
It is time for RDS to emerge from its lethargy. The public deserves better than dull analyzes and comments from another time.
The future is now, and the Sports Network must finally give voice to a new generation of journalists. Without this, it risks sinking even further into the indifference of Quebec sports fans.
RDS today embodies a resistance to change which creates more and more discontent. While some describe them as “legendary”, others believe that they are outdated, symbols of a frozen system.
The tensions within RDS reveal a power struggle between generations, aggravated by economic difficulties and a drop in audiences.
The monuncles stubbornly refuse to give up their place. The young journalists find themselves stuck behind this veteran who blocks access to the antenna.
The situation is hardly different year after year, where Alain Crête recently announced that he would extend his contract until 2026, to the great dismay of young talents eager to prove themselves.
The RDS monuncles have become obstacles to succession, symbols of an industry incapable of renewing itself.
While sports media is undergoing profound change, monuncles continue to occupy the stage, preventing the emergence of new voices.
RDS’s financial difficulties only worsen the situation. According to the CRTC, RDS suffered an alarming drop in subscribers of 7%.
These declines, combined with increasing broadcast costs and decreasing advertising revenue, put the network’s future in jeopardy
RDS, once the undisputed leader in sports in Quebec, is seeing its spending on programming and production soar.
And the monuncles, protected, are expensive while young journalists would be more economical for RDS. These financial difficulties could even lead to the loss of broadcast rights to Montreal Canadiens matches in 2026, which would mark a turning point for the sports network.
In this uncertain context, the strategy of Geoff Molson, owner of the Montreal Canadiens, could shake up the industry.
Inspired by streaming giants like Apple TV, Molson plans to launch its own platform, HABS TV, in 2026. Such a move would deprive RDS of its main source of audience and revenue, precipitating its decline.
Alain Crête seems to have understood the seriousness of the situation, choosing to plan his retirement for 2026 while gradually reducing his appearances on screen.
“I will continue for two more years with RDS,” he declared, marking the start of a transition before a potential collapse of the sports channels.
For the young journalists at RDS, keeping Crête, Therrien, Brunet, Flynn and company at the top represents a considerable obstacle.
The retirement of these figures of the past could finally open the way for new voices, but the prospects for the industry remain bleak, especially if the broadcast rights of the Montreal Canadiens disappear.
The RDS monuncles become the symbol of the challenges that Quebec sports media must face.
As traditional television fades into the background, they struggle to maintain their place, risking tarnishing their legacy by hanging on for too long.
It is high time that the Sports Network embraces the future and finally offers a chance to the new generation.
In the world of media, stretching the sauce always ends up making it bland and bitter. The RDS monuncles, by stretching the elastic, risk becoming caricatures of themselves.
It’s time to give way and inject new blood into the studios. The future is now.
