Le5 Communications
Encyclopedia
Le5 Communications is a Canadian
media company. Based in Sudbury, Ontario
, the company operates radio stations and newspapers in the Northeastern Ontario
region.
Owned and operated by Paul Lefebvre, a lawyer with the Sudbury firm of Weaver, Simmons, the company was incorporated in 2008 after Lefebvre reached a deal with Haliburton Broadcasting Group
to acquire the company's francophone radio stations in Sudbury and Timmins
for $425,000. The deal was approved by the CRTC on October 31, 2008. The company operates the only French language
commercial radio stations in Ontario; all other French stations in the province are public
or community radio
stations operated by non-profit groups or Radio-Canada
.
The company's name is a pun
on Lefebvre's surname. If the numeral 5 is pronounced as in English (i.e. "five" rather than "cinq"), the company's name is very close to the French pronunciation of Lefebvre.
Both stations are branded as Le Loup, and air common programming for the most part. The Timmins station also has rebroadcasters in Kapuskasing and Hearst
, and a community group holds a separate license to rebroadcast the Sudbury station in Chapleau
.
On August 4, 2010, Le5 Communications applied to operate a new French-language FM radio station in West Nipissing, operating at 97.1 MHz with an adult pop-music format. The company received approval to operate the new station on January 6, 2011:
, a weekly francophone community newspaper in Timmins, in 2010. In 2011, it also purchased Sudbury's existing francophone community newspaper Le Voyageur
.
newspaper Le Droit
, a publication with very limited readership in the Sudbury or Timmins areas — thereby giving the region's Franco-Ontarian
community little notice of either the pending transaction or the deadlines for reviewing and submitting comments regarding the application.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
media company. Based in Sudbury, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the company operates radio stations and newspapers in the Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
region.
Owned and operated by Paul Lefebvre, a lawyer with the Sudbury firm of Weaver, Simmons, the company was incorporated in 2008 after Lefebvre reached a deal with Haliburton Broadcasting Group
Haliburton Broadcasting Group
The Haliburton Broadcasting Group is a Canadian group of FM radio stations, located primarily in smaller markets in Ontario.-History:The company is named for the Haliburton region in Central Ontario, where majority owner and president Christopher Grossman, a longtime radio sales manager, trainer...
to acquire the company's francophone radio stations in Sudbury and Timmins
Timmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
for $425,000. The deal was approved by the CRTC on October 31, 2008. The company operates the only French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
commercial radio stations in Ontario; all other French stations in the province are public
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
or community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
stations operated by non-profit groups or Radio-Canada
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
The company's name is a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on Lefebvre's surname. If the numeral 5 is pronounced as in English (i.e. "five" rather than "cinq"), the company's name is very close to the French pronunciation of Lefebvre.
Radio
- Sudbury - CHYC-FMCHYC-FMCHYC-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at FM 98.9 in Sudbury, Ontario. It broadcasts a francophone hot adult contemporary format for the city's franco-ontarian community. It is owned by Le5 Communications, and branded as Le Loup 98.9....
- TimminsTimminsTimmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
- CHYK-FMCHYK-FMCHYK-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at FM 104.1 in Timmins, Ontario. It broadcasts a francophone hot adult contemporary format for the city's Franco-Ontarian community. It is owned by Le5 Communications, and branded as Le Loup 104.1....
Both stations are branded as Le Loup, and air common programming for the most part. The Timmins station also has rebroadcasters in Kapuskasing and Hearst
Hearst, Ontario
Hearst is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in Northern Ontario, approximately west of Kapuskasing, approximately north of Toronto and east of Thunder Bay on Highway 11...
, and a community group holds a separate license to rebroadcast the Sudbury station in Chapleau
Chapleau, Ontario
Chapleau is a township in Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada. It is home to one of the world's largest wildlife preserves. Chapleau has a population of 2,354 according to the Canada 2006 Census....
.
On August 4, 2010, Le5 Communications applied to operate a new French-language FM radio station in West Nipissing, operating at 97.1 MHz with an adult pop-music format. The company received approval to operate the new station on January 6, 2011:
- West Nipissing/North BayNorth Bay, OntarioNorth Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
- Call Sign TBA97.1 FM Nipissing, Ontario97.1 FM Nipissing, Ontario, is a new radio station that will offer an adult pop music format on a frequency of 97.1 MHz in West Nipissing, Ontario, Canada, serving the Sturgeon Falls-North Bay area. Owned by Le5 Communications, the station received CRTC approval on January 6, 2011.This station...
Newspapers
The company launched L'Express de TimminsL'Express de Timmins
L'Express de Timmins is a weekly community newspaper in Timmins, Ontario, serving the city's Franco-Ontarian community. The newspaper was launched in 2010 by Le5 Communications, the owner of local francophone radio station CHYK-FM....
, a weekly francophone community newspaper in Timmins, in 2010. In 2011, it also purchased Sudbury's existing francophone community newspaper Le Voyageur
Le Voyageur
Le Voyageur is a weekly community newspaper in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, serving the city's Franco-Ontarian community. The newspaper was launched on June 12, 1968, shortly after the demise of the region's earlier francophone community newspaper L'Ami du peuple, and is distributed throughout...
.
Controversy
Although it was not opposed to Le5's application to take over ownership of CHYC, Le Voyageur published an editorial in 2008 criticizing the CRTC for its handling of the application process. The paper took issue with the fact that the CRTC's original notice of hearing was not published in any of the region's local media, but only in the OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
newspaper Le Droit
Le Droit
Le Droit is a Canadian daily newspaper, published in Ottawa, Canada. Initially established and owned by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the paper was has been published by Gesca since 2000.-History:...
, a publication with very limited readership in the Sudbury or Timmins areas — thereby giving the region's Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
community little notice of either the pending transaction or the deadlines for reviewing and submitting comments regarding the application.