After 22 years on the air, CBC Radio One’s DNTO (Definitely Not The Opera) will be airing its final episode on Saturday May 14. The beloved Saturday afternoon program has aired across Canada since its debut on September 10, 1994. In the final episode DNTO fans will be invited to take part in a DNTO tradition, the listening party where DNTO’s most unforgettable moments will be revisited. The preceding program on Saturday, May 7 “The power of gratitude,” will include feedback on the show from listeners and the show’s thanks to them.
Sook-Yin Lee, who took on the host role in September 2002, will be taking on a new project with the CBC, and the Winnipeg-based producers of DNTO are also entering a creative period and developing a new CBC show (details to be announced at a later date).
“We wanted to go out on a high,” says Susan Marjetti, Executive Director, Radio and Audio, CBC English Services. “DNTO has had a great run. Its continued popularity for more than two decades is a testament to the creative talent of the team and everyone who has worked on the show over the years, but it was time for a change and we are excited about the new projects we have coming with both Sook-Yin and the Winnipeg team.”
For many years DNTO has been CBC’s go-to place for personal storytelling from Canadians from all walks of life. This season we featured the stories of a Somali refugee, a newly-elected politician, an Indigenous activist and Drake’s drama teacher, and hundreds of others. The search for stories has taken DNTO across the country from Sooke, British Columbia to Goose Bay, Labrador to Whitehorse, Yukon.
Originally hosted by Nora Young, the show’s name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, which aired in the same time slot on CBC Radio 2. Early contributors on the program include Canadian pop-culture figures Rex Murphy, Ivan Fecan, Mary Walsh, Laurie Brown and Guy Maddin.
In September 2008, DNTO unveiled a new theme song, composed by Juno Award-winning songwriter Final Fantasy, a.k.a. Owen Pallett. In 2009, DNTO won its first Gabriel Award, recognizing “outstanding artistic achievement in media that entertains and enriches with a true vision of humanity and a true vision of life.” The show went on to win two more Gabriels in 2012 and 2013.
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For more information, please contact:
Nicola Makoway
CBC News & Current Affairs, CBC Radio One publicist
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