Entertainment • Actress

Chantal Machabée

Chantal Machabée is a Canadian sports journalist, television presenter, and communications executive.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Chantal Machabée is a Canadian sports journalist, television presenter, and communications executive. She is known for pioneering roles in Quebec sports broadcasting and has served as vice-president of hockey communications for the Montreal Canadiens since 2022. Machabée is a prominent Canadian media figure whose career is especially significant in Quebec sports broadcasting.

Early life and career beginnings

Machabée is reported to be from Laval, Quebec, and began working in sports media in 1985. Early roles included radio work and reporting for television in Ottawa.

RDS broadcasting career

She joined RDS in 1989 and became the first woman to anchor a daily sports newscast in Quebec. Her work included hosting Sports 30 and covering major Quebec sports.

Work with the Montreal Canadiens

Machabée later became the first woman to host Canadiens game broadcasts on RDS. In January 2022, she moved from broadcasting into an executive role with the team.

Recognition and legacy

Machabée is recognized as a trailblazer in a male-dominated field. Sources describe her as a major figure in Quebec sports television and an inspiration to later generations of journalists.

Key facts

She began her career in 1985 as a sports reporter in radio and television.
In 1989, she became the first woman to present a daily sports newscast in Quebec.
She spent more than 30 years with RDS, covering Quebec sports and the Montreal Canadiens.
In 2004, she became the first woman to anchor Canadiens game broadcasts on RDS.
She was named vice-president of hockey communications for the Montreal Canadiens in January 2022.

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Canadian context

Machabée is a prominent Canadian media figure whose career is especially significant in Quebec sports broadcasting. She is also linked to one of Canada's most recognizable hockey organizations, the Montreal Canadiens.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Chantal Machabée?

She is a Canadian sports journalist, television presenter, and hockey communications executive best known for her long career at RDS and her role with the Montreal Canadiens.

What is Chantal Machabée known for?

She is known for being the first woman to anchor a daily sports newscast in Quebec and for later becoming the first woman to host Canadiens game broadcasts on RDS.

What job does she have now?

She has served as vice-president of hockey communications for the Montreal Canadiens since January 2022.

When was Chantal Machabée born?

She was born on September 4, 1964.

Which broadcaster is most associated with her career?

RDS is the broadcaster most closely associated with her career, where she worked for more than three decades.

References

French Wikipedia — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chantal_Machab%C3%A9e
Supports: Birth date, career overview, and first-woman broadcasting milestones
English Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chantal_Machab%C3%A9e
Supports: Birth date, nationality, career summary, and Montreal Canadiens role
NHL / Montreal Canadiens — https://www.nhl.com/fr/canadiens/team/chantal-machabee
Supports: Official role title, January 2022 appointment, RDS history, and origin
RDS — https://www.rds.ca/experts/chantal-machabee-1.160040
Supports: Career start in 1985, RDS tenure, first female daily sports bulletin anchor, and first female Canadiens game host
Radio-Canada — https://ici.radio-canada.ca/sports/1851978/hockey-canadien-lnh-chantal-machabeevice-presidente-communications
Supports: Appointment to vice-president of communications and long RDS career
Histoire des femmes au Québec — https://histoiredesfemmes.quebec/chantal-machabee-1964/
Supports: Career milestones, recognition, and pioneering role in sports media