A familiar voice to Canadians across the country, Shelagh Rogers, announced on Saturday that she will step down after 15 years as host of CBC’s THE NEXT CHAPTER, at the end of this season. Since 2008, Rogers has hosted and produced the program that is devoted to Canadian writers and songwriters, elevating new voices alongside literary icons. Her final show will be available Saturday, June 24 on CBC Radio and CBC Listen.
“I want to say thank you to the listeners for being with me,” said Rogers. “Thank you for giving me the chance to grow. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce you to voices you may not otherwise have heard on the radio. I’ve had such joy in seeing writers, especially from diverse communities, enjoy phenomenal success — and long may that continue. I just love the fact that more and more voices are being heard and I will miss being a part of that wonderful current that is running through radio these days.”
She first joined CBC in 1980 and went on to play a variety of roles that took her from Ottawa, to Toronto and Vancouver. Rogers hosted flagship national radio shows including Morningside and This Morning, before developing her own show, Sounds Like Canada, and later taking the host chair at The Next Chapter. She has traveled the country extensively, interviewing thousands of Canadians and collecting their stories.
“Shelagh’s laugh may be as memorable as her enthusiasm for talking about this great country, ” said Barbara Williams, Executive Vice-President, CBC. “It’s a thrill when Shelagh takes us along for the ride to discover a new Canadian artist, voice or perspective. I will miss laughing and learning along with her on the radio, especially when those national conversations touched on her own commitment to mental health and reconciliation. Her enduring legacy will be inspiring listeners to question for themselves, what about being Canadian brings them joy.”
Rogers was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011, for promoting Canada’s rich culture, for her volunteer work in adult literacy, for fighting against the stigma of mental illness, and for her work in support of reconciliation. Native Counseling Services of Alberta awarded her for Achievement in the Aboriginal Community, and she was chosen as an “Honourary Witness” by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. She also holds several honourary doctorates from Canadian universities.
Rogers says that now, “I just want to give the keys to somebody else and say, ‘This is yours now — just go for it. Go and use all your creativity, your sense of wonder, curiosity and compassion and tell the stories of this complicated, messy and beautiful country.'”
While the search for a new host begins, a special summer edition launches on July 1, hosted by CBC Books producer and THE NEXT CHAPTER contributor, Ryan B. Patrick, featuring new interviews alongside encore segments from the past season.
THE NEXT CHAPTER is available Saturdays on CBC Radio at 3 p.m. ET (3:30 NT) and Mondays at 1 p.m. (1:30 NT). Past episodes are also available on demand via CBC Listen.
