The key to Donlon's success in knowing what
kids want may be that, though now in her early forties, she's
still a kid at heart. Donlon is still a huge music fan,
standing among the other fans at concerts, thrilled to be
meeting the musicians and doing a job that dovetails so completely
with her own lifetime love of music.
But the music business is a business, with a lot of dollars
and careers at stake. Ms. Much takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes
journey to see how Denise Donlon navigates through these perilous
waters, determining, with her associates at MuchMusic, what
music gets played and how often; negotiating with record labels
and managers anxiously promoting their clients; and discussing
who gets interviewed and under what conditions.
Members of the bands Blue Rodeo and The Barenaked Ladies,
Citytv boss Moses Znaimer, former Citytv executive John Martin,
and folksinger Murray McLauchlan (who happens to also be Donlon's
husband), offer their unique perspectives on this remarkable
Canadian woman thriving in a traditionally male environment.
Beyond knowing what kids like, Donlon has, throughout her
career, maintained a reputation for professional integrity
and personal unpretentiousness. And while her taste
and judgement have had an important role in reflecting and
defining what music Canadian kids get to see and hear on television,
'Ms. Much' has also been a leader in advocating change and
fighting for those things she believed in: getting rid of
violence and sexism in rock videos, promoting literacy among
the young, and creating the first 'genderless' music video
awards. She has also tirelessly promoted Canadian talent
and, in founding MuchMoreMusic, created a place where older
musicians (which in today's world might be defined as anyone
over 25 years old) could still be seen and heard.
Original Air Date - January 25, 2000
Links
MuchMusic
MuchMoreMusic
Biographies
of Canadian Broadcasting
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