Jeff Fillion

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Jean-François Fillion, better known as Jeff Fillion, is a well-known francophone radio host and businessman.

Most of his reputation comes from his stint, from 1997 to 2005, as morningman with radio station CHOI-FM in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. He developed over time a strong following, and at his peak, had more than twice as many listeners as his nearest competitor. However, his controversial and politically incorrect comments, combined with those of André Arthur, have resulted in the CRTC refusing to renew the station's licence in July 2004. (The station is still on the air pending an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.)

He was fired on March 17, 2005, in the fallout of the trial from Sophie Chiasson against him and his then-employer.

After numerous rumours to the effect that he would be hired by other radio stations in the Quebec City market (which turned out to be unfounded) or by a satellite radio group, he announced his intention of launching a subscription-only Internet radio service. RadioPirate.com was launched on March 17, 2006, exactly a year after he was fired by CHOI-FM. Has of today RadioPirate.com has more than eight thousand Internet subscribers at $5.99 Can a month.

On August 11, 2006, XM Satellite Radio, Canada announced it had signed him to rebroadcast his Internet daily radio show on its French sports channel SportPlus, from his Quebec studio.

Fillion has been compared many times to Howard Stern and is branded by opponents as a shock jock, claims that are disputed by his fans. His politics are a mix of conservatism and libertarianism. He rejects separatism not because of any real attachment to Canada, but more because of his perception that sovereignty would only help to increase socialism in Quebec. Interestingly, his father, Gilbert Fillion, was a one-term Member of Parliament for the Bloc Québécois, in the riding of Chicoutimi from 1993 to 1997.

Jeff Fillion began his career in his home town of Saguenay in the late 1980s. From August 2002 to April 2004, his show on CHOI-FM merged with André Arthur's show every day for half an hour, and as such he was also heard on CJMS in Saint-Constant (near Montreal), CKNU-FM in Donnacona (west of Quebec City) and CIMI-FM in Charlesbourg.

Fillion is currently supporting Stephen Harper's Conservative Party and Mario Dumont's Action Democratique du Québec. He also took position supporting Israel in the current Lebanon conflict, which is in opposition to Quebec's traditional support of Palestinia. He also suggests that Canada should not apply the Kyoto Protocol.

Fillion wishes to improve the economy of Quebec City. He is an epic critic of current mayor Andrée Boucher, who he believes keeps the city is state of dust. He believes that NHL hockey should come back to Quebec City, notably by an ownership effort from Red Bull.

He hosts his new show with two long time collaborators Marie Saint-Laurent, Yves Landry and new comer Oliver Mailloux.