Donahue (2002 talk show)

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Donahue
Presented byPhil Donahue
Country of originUnited States
Production
Running time60 minutes
Original release
NetworkMSNBC
ReleaseJuly 15, 2002 (2002-07-15) –
February 25, 2003 (2003-02-25)

In 2002, Phil Donahue returned to television to host a talk show called Donahue on MSNBC.

Cancellation

Its debut Nielsen ratings were strong, but its audience evaporated over the following months. In late August 2002, it received one of the lowest possible ratings (0.1), less than MSNBC's average for the day of 0.2. On February 25, 2003, MSNBC cancelled the show, citing low viewership. However, that month, Donahue averaged 446,000 viewers and became the highest rated show on the network.[1][2] Other MSNBC shows, including Hardball with Chris Matthews and Scarborough Country, averaged lower ratings in 2005.[3]

Soon after the show's cancellation, an internal MSNBC memo was leaked to the press stating that Donahue should be fired because he opposed the imminent U.S. invasion of Iraq and that he "represents a difficult public face for NBC in a time of war. He seems to delight in presenting guests who are antiwar, anti-Bush and skeptical of the administration’s motives".[4][5][6] Donahue commented in 2007 that the management of MSNBC, owned at the time by General Electric, a major defense contractor, required that "we have two conservative (guests) for every liberal. I was counted as two liberals."[7][8]

Keith Olbermann, who joined the network after the show's cancellation, told TV Guide in 2007 that the cancellation had as much to do with the show's production cost as it did with political orientation.[9] An NBC News executive said that the show was very expensive to produce, because it involved a studio audience.[10]

Legacy

In September 2002, Oprah Winfrey praised Donahue saying "the bottom line is we need you, Phil, because we need to be challenged by the voice of dissent".[11]

References

  1. ^ "Phil Donahue Gets The Ax, MSNBC Cancels Donahue's Talk Show Due To Low Ratings". CBS News. February 25, 2003. Archived from the original on February 26, 2003.
  2. ^ Carter, Bill (February 26, 2003). "MSNBC Cancels Phil Donahue". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "2005 Competitive Program Analysis from Nielsen Media Research" (PDF). TV Newser. Media Bistro. 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2007.
  4. ^ "Cable News Confidential: FAIR Founder Jeff Cohen on his misadventures in corporate media". Democracy Now!. October 11, 2006. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  5. ^ Poniewozik, James, "In the Obama Era, Will the Media Change Too?" Time, January 15, 2009.
  6. ^ Naureckas, Jim "MSNBC’s Racism Is OK, Peace Activism Is Not" FAIR, April 1, 2003.
  7. ^ Poniewozik, James, "Watching the Not-Watchdogs,"Time, April 26, 2007.
  8. ^ Ellis, Rick (February 25, 2003). "Commentary: The Surrender Of MSNBC". AllYourTV.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2003.
  9. ^ Battaglio, Steven (February 22, 2007). "The Biz". TV Guide.
  10. ^ Carter, Bill (February 26, 2003). "MSNBC Cancels the Phil Donahue Talk Show". The New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  11. ^ "Oprah Talks to Phil Donahue" (page 10), oprah.com, from the September 2002 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. Retrieved July 25, 2016.
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