Donahue, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 88, invented some aspects of the contemporary talk show format and encouraged Oprah to tackle contentious subjects on her own show.
He was dubbed the “King of Daytime Talk,” and not simply because he drew sizable crowds. With his unique format adjustments and issue-driven approach, Phil Donahue transformed television commentary while educating and entertaining millions of viewers on his namesake TV program.
Throughout his decades-long career, Donahue traversed various networks and earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Joe Biden earlier this year. He was well-known for his ability to interact with a live audience and debate contentious issues that had not before been discussed on television. According to Today, the talk show presenter passed away on Sunday at the age of 88 after a protracted illness.
Donahue the man was setting the path for some of the most well-known TV hosts, most notably Oprah Winfrey, as his syndicated show achieved success and won 20 Daytime Emmy Awards. In 2002, Oprah wrote, “There would have been no Oprah Winfrey show if there had not been a Phil Donahue show.” “He was the first to acknowledge that women are intelligent, care about the world around them, and want the best life possible for themselves—interests that go beyond cake recipes and mascara tricks.”
Donahue questioned TV conventions
Donahue, who was born in Cleveland on December 21, 1935, made his television debut as a student at the University of Notre Dame. At the South Bend, Indiana, campus of the NBC affiliate, he read agricultural reports in the early morning hours.
His career didn’t take off, though, until he joined a Dayton, Ohio, radio and television station in the early 1960s. Following his successful interviewing of legendary businessman Billie Sol Estes and Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa, Donahue launched his own ninety-minute radio talk program. The Hollywood Reporter claims that Donahue employed new phone technology that let listeners call in and speak with guests, such as playboy entrepreneur Hugh Hefner and civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.
The Phil Donahue Show, the TV incarnation of his radio program, was first shown in 1967, and he brought the same emphasis on audience participation to the small screen. In contrast to other talk shows that utilized gimmicks like an in-studio band and a sidekick to host, Donahue’s setup was straightforward: he and a guest sat at folding chairs and conversed.
Donahue didn’t back down from contentious subjects or interviews; the year before the Stonewall riots, in 1968, he interviewed a homosexual man for one of his shows, inviting atheist campaigner Madalyn Murray O’Hair. Donahue was encouraged by this to advocate for LGBTQ rights throughout his life.
As a feminist, Donahue started emphasizing women’s concerns after realizing that his female audience was the reason for the show’s success. Donahue famously remarked, “I genuinely think we have spoken more thoughtfully, more honestly, more frequently to more issues about which women care than any other show.”
In 1970, the show entered syndication and ran for 26 years, making Donahue a household name across the country. Oprah Winfrey, an ambitious TV host, was among those paying close attention.
Oprah doubted her ability to outperform Donahue in the ratings.
Oprah was also a rising sensation in 1984. She relocated to Chicago and took the helm of the morning program A.M. Chicago after eight years of hosting the popular chat show People Are Talking in Baltimore.
Her chief rival in the morning time slot was Donahue, whose show had moved to the Windy City in 1974. Thoughts of opposing him in viewership, however, were swiftly dashed after her debut program on January 2, 1984. “It was a bit of a disaster, to my surprise,” Oprah remarked in November of 2005. It was disorganized. It was merely a series of incorrect decisions… However, I overcame it. I made it through.
Oprah quickly learned from her mistakes, and her empathetic interview style and sharp wit connected with audiences. Within a month, the show was No. 1 in the local ratings—even topping Donahue. “Nobody expected me to beat Phil Donahue, nor did I,” she said in 2011. “So when that happened it was like, ‘Whoa. What is that?’ That was a huge victory for me, an overweight Black woman with a Jheri curl. I didn’t think he could be beaten so I wasn’t trying to.” By 1985, the program was re-branded to The Oprah Winfrey Show, the smash hit that helped turn Oprah into the global icon we know today.
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