Marilyn Denis has announced she’ll be stepping away from the CHUM 104.5 morning show this summer after 40 years waking up Torontonians.
Denis, 67, told listeners Thursday morning that she decided to make the announcement now because she “can’t hold a secret very well.”
“Being in this CHUM universe for 40 years has been so awesome and I just want everybody to know that it’s my decision,” Denis continued. “It’s not easy coming to a decision like this, but this has been my routine for 40 years.”
“When it’s fun, it’s hard to leave,” she told co-host David Corey. “But it’s time.”
Leading up to her final morning show broadcast, CHUM 104.5 will celebrate Denis’ career and legacy. The date of her final show has yet to be announced.
“There are many words that can describe Marilyn and the lasting impact she’s had, not only on the radio industry but specifically at CHUM 104.5, but the main one is iconic,” said Dave Daigle, VP, Local TV, Radio, and Bell Media Studios. “Marilyn’s historic career has spanned radio and television, and she has connected with listeners and viewers across the country through her candid approach, sense of humour, and ability to lead unforgettable conversations and interviews. While we will all miss having Marilyn wake us up every morning, we are incredibly proud to have been her home for the last 40 years. Marilyn’s legacy will live on through everyone who has had the privilege of working with her, and all those she’s inspired.”
Denis previously wrapped her daytime show, The Marilyn Denis Show, in 2023, following 13 seasons on CTV and a 34-year career in daytime television as the host of Citytv’s Cityline for nearly 20 years.
Born in Edmonton, but raised in Pennsylvania, Denis got her start in broadcasting in 1976 as the first woman DJ at KRPL Moscow, Idaho, before moving to Calgary to join CHFM and CJAY-FM, while also working at CTV Calgary as a sports, weather, and entertainment reporter and freelancer for TSN. She joined the CHUM morning show in 1986.
Denis was a guest on Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast in 2024, upon receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Listen here:
