Anna Maria Tremonti leaving The Current to host and produce original podcasts for CBC

Award-winning broadcaster Anna Maria Tremonti is leaving The Current after 17 seasons of hosting the weekday morning current affairs radio show in order to produce and host new, original podcasts for CBC.

CBC Radio will conduct a search for a new host of The Current, which will continue in its 8:30 a.m. timeslot.

Tremonti, 61, has been at the helm of the acclaimed show since it hit the CBC Radio airwaves in November 2002.

"It's time for a new challenge," Tremonti said.

"I've been privileged to connect with remarkable people and audiences across Canada each day. And I'm beyond grateful for the talented team of producers who've made it possible."

Her last day with The Current will be June 20.

But fans of Tremonti's hard-hitting journalism don't need to worry. The veteran reporter and host will be returning as the voice of a new, in-depth interview podcast that debuts this fall.

"This move into podcasting will give me an opportunity to do what I love best and explore storytelling in an exciting new way," Tremonti said.

The podcast will feature Tremonti sitting down with a range of guests and engaging in conversations that will "illuminate, challenge and surprise" listeners, CBC said in a statement.

She is also working on another CBC podcast that will be announced later this year.

The recipient of two Gemini awards and a Life Achievement Award from Women in Film and Television Toronto, Tremonti has earned the reputation of being an "exceptional journalist" in her time at the public broadcaster, said Susan Marjetti, executive director of CBC Radio and Audio, in a statement.

While at The Current, she explored a variety of issues affecting Canadians. Her no-nonsense interview style quickly elevated the 90-minute program to one of Canada's most listened to radio programs.

Tremonti and The Current have also won numerous journalism awards. Among the top recognitions: the prestigious Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) Excellence in Journalism Award (large media category) in 2012 and the Amnesty International Canada Media Award that same year for the documentary Born of War. 

Prior to The Current, Tremonti spent 19 years working with CBC TV — co-hosting its flagship investigative program, The Fifth Estate, and covering international stories as a foreign correspondent for The National.

Tremonti's assignments took her to many countries and saw her cover major news events that have shaped the world, including the Bosnian War, which resulted in the breakup of Yugoslavia, the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, among others.

"Her ability to listen, to ask thoughtful and probing questions, her depth from years in the field, her empathy, and her award-winning journalism will continue to serve our audiences in podcasting. But she will be truly missed on radio," Marjetti said.

"The search for a new host of The Current now begins."

Click 'listen' above to hear Tremonti discuss her departure from the program.