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Uncle Joe

(60,028 posts)
Tue Aug 20, 2024, 11:51 AM Aug 20

Remembering TV Icon Phil Donahue: He Brought Antiwar Voices to the Airwaves Until MSNBC Fired Him



The acclaimed television host Phil Donahue died Sunday at the age of 88. Donahue’s commitment to bringing major social and political issues to the American public spanned decades, a mission that was perhaps best encapsulated by his platforming of antiwar perspectives during the leadup to the Iraq War. He was fired in 2003 from his eponymous MSNBC talk show for doing so. In 2013, Democracy Now! spoke to Donahue about his firing. We play an excerpt from that interview and speak to journalist Jeff Cohen, who served as a senior producer on MSNBC’s Donahue before its cancellation. “Phil was a progressive. He was for peace and justice. He exuded it. It’s what made him tick,” recalls Cohen.

Transcript: https://www.democracynow.org/2024/8/2...

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET.
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Remembering TV Icon Phil Donahue: He Brought Antiwar Voices to the Airwaves Until MSNBC Fired Him (Original Post) Uncle Joe Aug 20 OP
And it didn't help that Donahue was 100% Correct on the Iraq War. MagaSmash Aug 20 #1
Phil Donahue's show was canceled by MSNBC primarily due to low viewership and concerns about its financial viability. Oopsie Daisy Aug 20 #2
k/r progressoid Aug 20 #3

Oopsie Daisy

(4,424 posts)
2. Phil Donahue's show was canceled by MSNBC primarily due to low viewership and concerns about its financial viability.
Tue Aug 20, 2024, 12:55 PM
Aug 20

While it is true that Donahue held antiwar views which may have contributed to the show's lower viewership numbers, he was not fired solely for his political stance. The decision to cancel the show was driven by a lack of audience engagement and the show's inability to attract sufficient advertising revenue to sustain itself.

In essence, the cancellation was a business decision based on ratings and financial considerations rather than a direct response to Donahue's political opinions.

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