Denise Donlon

Denise Donlon (born 1956) is a Canadian broadcaster, music-industry executive, television producer, and memoirist whose work has connected Canadian popular music with radio, television, and cultural advocacy. Her career spans on-air journalism and senior management, giving her an unusually broad perspective on the institutions that shaped music media in Canada.

Donlon joined MuchMusic in 1985 as a host and producer of The NewMusic. She later became Director of Music Programming and then Vice-President and General Manager of MuchMusic/CityTV, where she helped launch MuchMoreMusic. In 2000 she became president of Sony Music Canada; from 2008 to 2011, she led CBC Radio’s English-language services. These roles form the professional foundation of her memoir, Fearless as Possible, published by House of Anansi Press in 2016 under a longer edition title.

Her memoir addresses corporate leadership, broadcasting, the changing music business, and her involvement with charitable initiatives including War Child Canada and MusiCounts. Donlon was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2004 and received the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the 2018 JUNO Awards, recognizing her contribution to the development of the Canadian music industry. Fearless as Possible was also shortlisted for the 2017 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Nonfiction.