96,9 CKOI

What 96,9 CKOI does

96,9 CKOI is a French-language commercial FM radio station broadcasting at 96.9 MHz from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1980 and owned by Cogeco Média (a subsidiary of publicly-traded Cogeco Inc., TSE:CG), the station targets adults aged 25-49 in the greater Montreal area with a hit-music format combined with comedic morning programming anchored by the long-running show "Debout les Comiques." CKOI has been ranked the #1 musical station in Montreal for its target demo per the Numeris PPM Spring 2020 survey, reaching approximately 1.57-2.1 million weekly listeners.

The station's product surface extends well beyond the FM signal. Listeners can access live streaming via the station website (www.ckoi.com) and the Cogeco Média mobile application available on iOS and Android. An on-demand podcast library (balados) of over 30 shows covers comedy, news, sports, and lifestyle, with a catch-up (rattrapage) service for previous broadcasts. Supporting products include a daily music countdown ("6 à 6"), an email newsletter subscription, a contest platform integrated with regional sponsors, and news bulletins supplied by the Cogeco Nouvelles network news agency. Multi-platform distribution is operated centrally on the parent company's digital infrastructure rather than bespoke CKOI technology.

Monetization is exclusively advertising-based: CKOI is free-to-air to listeners, and revenue is generated through the sale of airtime, sponsorships, and promotional content to advertisers seeking reach into the 2.1M+ weekly listener base. Commercial partners include regional Quebec brands (Lafleur, Sports Experts) and event sponsors (Omnium Banque Nationale, Marathon Beneva Montreal, comedian Alphé Gagné's tour). As one of 23 stations in the Cogeco Média portfolio, CKOI does not publish standalone financial data and operates with limited listed headcount (1-10 employees) on a shared corporate backbone.

Name

96,9 CKOI

Legal name

Cogeco Média

Website

https://ckoi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

96,9 CKOI is a French-language commercial FM radio station in Montreal, Canada, broadcasting hit music, comedic morning programming, podcasts, and news to over 2.1 million weekly listeners aged 25-49. It is owned by Cogeco Média (Cogeco Inc., TSX:CG) and monetizes through advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Podcast Hosting, Distribution & Listening Platforms (BPAMAJAD), Radio Network Distribution & Programming Services (Syndicators, Format Providers) (MPAIAEAH)

Keywords

• Commercial radio broadcasting
• Music entertainment programming
• Digital audio streaming
• Podcast content production
• French-language media

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal-nord

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: CKOI generates revenue primarily through advertising, where businesses purchase airtime slots and promotional content on the radio station to reach its audience of over 2.1 million weekly listeners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

96,9 CKOI operates a French-language commercial FM radio station in Montreal at 96.9 MHz, delivering contemporary hit music, comedic morning programming (Debout les Comiques), local news, and on-demand podcast content to listeners. The station provides free-to-air audio entertainment and digital streaming through its website and mobile applications, monetized primarily through advertising sales to businesses seeking access to its audience of over 2.1 million weekly listeners.

Product overview

96.9 CKOI is a Montreal-based radio station owned by Cogeco Média, operating as a music and entertainment radio station at 96.9 FM frequency. The station delivers a unified product experience combining traditional FM radio broadcasts with digital streaming services. The core offering includes live radio streaming via website and mobile apps, an extensive podcast library (balados) of on-demand content spanning original series, comedy shows, and news, plus a catch-up service (rattrapage) for replaying past broadcasts. Additional products include a daily music countdown (6 à 6), email newsletter subscription, interactive contest platform, and access to Cogeco Nouvelles news service. The station positions itself as 'La Puissance Musicale de Montréal' (Montreal's Musical Powerhouse), reaching over 2.1 million weekly listeners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 96.9 CKOI Radio Broadcast
• Live Streaming Audio
• Podcast Library (Balados)
• On-Demand Audio (Rattrapage)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.1 million weekly listeners
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Omnium Banque Nationale (Rogers)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCKOI partnered with the Omnium Banque Nationale tennis tournament presented by Rogers to offer listeners contest opportunities to win pairs of tickets to the prestigious tennis event held at Stade IGA in Montreal.
• Sports Experts and Shop SantéminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCKOI partnered with Sports Experts and Shop Santé for a contest offering $100 gift cards to these retailers plus marathon bibs for the Marathon Beneva Montreal event.
• LafleurminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCKOI partnered with Lafleur (Quebec flower retailer) for weekly contest giveaways offering $150 in Lafleur products, with drawings every Friday until mid-August.
• Alphé GagnéminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCKOI partnered with comedian Alphé Gagné for a contest offering pairs of tickets to his comedy show 'ON REPART' touring across Quebec in fall 2026 and winter 2027.
• Cogeco MédiacoreOthersCKOI is owned and operated by Cogeco Média, a subsidiary of Cogeco Inc. Cogeco Média operates 23 radio stations across Quebec and Ontario, reaching over 5.3 million weekly listeners. CKOI benefits from centralized resources, technology platforms, and cross-promotional opportunities within the network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rythme FM: Rythme FM is a Cogeco Média sister station targeting a similar francophone Montreal adult audience with a contemporary music format. It competes for the same listener and advertiser pool as CKOI within the parent network.
• Rouge FM: Rouge FM is a Montreal-area French-language FM music station and direct competitor in the same demographic. Although also owned by Cogeco Média, it competes for overlapping adult francophone listeners in Montreal against CKOI.
• Énergie (Bell Media): Énergie is Bell Media's flagship French-language music radio network in Quebec. It is CKOI's most direct head-to-head competitor, competing for the same 25-49 adult francophone audience and advertisers in Montreal.
• Virgin Radio Montreal (CHOM 97.7): CHOM 97.7 (formerly Virgin Radio) is a Montreal FM rock/pop station operated by Bell Media. It targets a similar adult 18-54 demographic and competes with CKOI for music listeners and ad revenue in the Montreal market.
• 98.5 FM (Cogeco Média): 98.5 FM is a Cogeco Média news-talk sister station in Montreal. It is directly comparable as a French-language Montreal broadcaster within the same parent network, sharing infrastructure and audience-overlap dynamics with CKOI.

Emerging players

• Spotify: Spotify is the global on-demand music streaming leader. While not a direct FM competitor, it competes with CKOI for listener time, particularly among younger francophone listeners, and is increasingly capturing radio ad budgets.

Broad incumbents

• iHeartRadio: iHeartRadio is the largest U.S. terrestrial-radio streaming platform, offering live FM streaming and on-demand audio. It is comparable as a broad incumbent digital radio/audio platform competing with CKOI for listener attention and ad budgets.
• Bell Media Radio: Bell Media operates a broad portfolio of Canadian radio stations (including Énergie, Virgin Radio, CHOM). It is comparable as a large incumbent French-language radio competitor with overlapping audience and ad-sales reach in Montreal.
• CBC/Radio-Canada (Première Chaîne / Espace musique): CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's public broadcaster operating French and English radio networks. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same Montreal francophone listening audience, though with a public-service (non-commercial) mandate.

Regional players

• NRJ (France): NRJ is France's leading French-language commercial music radio network. It is comparable to CKOI as a French-language hit-music FM brand targeting young adults, though it operates in a different geography (France vs. Quebec).

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CKOI
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/96-9-ckoi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 96,9 CKOI