Susan Johnston

HOST OF: Friday Special Blend

YEAR STARTED: 1999

I’m here because I’m passionate about the transformative power of stories, and how they help us better understand one another and our communities. 

I joined CKCU in 1999 while finishing my M.A. at Carleton, questioning what I wanted to do with my life, and trying to find an anchor for my interests in social justice and storytelling. I worked with the A Luta Continua team for a whole before being asked to fill in on the Friday Special Blend for eight weeks in 2002. It has been a long eight weeks.

The Friday Special Blend explores the creative process, defined as broadly as possible. Ottawa is full of writers, visual artists, dancers, filmmakers, theatre artists, and visionaries of so many kinds. It’s a treat to get to know them, their muse, their craft, and the impact they’re having on Ottawa, one stroke of brilliance at a time. 

I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from exceptional co-hosts over the years — Monique Fuller, Heather Ritchie, Anastasia Gould, Vanessa Davies, Bob Ledrew, Rowan Jette Knox, and now Micah Petti and Gianluca Petti. I’m thankful to them and to Chris Brookes (RIP) and Victoria Fenner, who were my early teachers in radio.