Talk:Phil Donahue

Ratings
0.1 is not the lowest possible rating one can get. John McEnroe got a 0.0 when he started his show. Mike H 15:17, Sep 3, 2004 (UTC) Please help me get some recording of Donahue when he was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa many years ago. cgcatloverqc@yahoo.com   farmer talk on the show  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.255.1.116 (talk) 13:10, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

Donahue's MSNBC ratings confusion
This article makes the following statements:


 * In late August 2002, it got one of the lowest possible Nielsen ratings (0.1)
 * The show was so popular that it became MSNBC's top-rated show.

These two tidbits seem to subtly imply mutually contradictory conclusions without explicitly stating them. So what is the full story? Were the ratings in August 2002 representative of its ratings up until its cancellation? How were these ratings when compared with the typical hour on MSNBC, or other programs like Jesse Ventura's program or Joe Scarborough's program? -- Bletch 17:30, Sep 28, 2004 (UTC)


 * The show was popular, but only due to the star power of Phil Donahue and not because of its ratings. The top-rated bit has to go. Mike H 18:33, Sep 28, 2004 (UTC)


 * Ummm forgive me for being ignorant, but to me, popularity implies ratings. Is that just a way of saying a lot of people liked the show but did not watch it?  --Bletch 23:49, 28 Sep 2004 (UTC)


 * A show can have a massive fan following but a low viewership count. Love of Life would be a prime example. Mike H 23:15, Oct 23, 2004 (UTC)
 * Did Phil Donahue's mom write this article? Phil Donahue's ratings were horrendous.  i found numerous links through google but here is just one: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/25/entertainment/main542005.shtml There is no debate, he got canceled because no one watched his show, not because of his anti-war views.  GMAFB.  RonMexico 16:34, 2 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Why are his far-left leaning political leanings not mentioned in this article? And I agree, the intro is so puffball as to why his show was canceled.  This article needs some work. 68.4.225.187 03:58, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

NCSU speech
Somebody should mention his NCSU commencement speech, Take a Liberal to Lunch which had wide press in, I think, 2003 - he was booed off the stage, and the speech created a controversy for the administration of the school at the time.--24.176.68.73 14:28, 1 August 2005 (UTC)


 * It would be noteworthy if he were actually booed off of the stage, but that never happened. Only a handful of of the 4000 students walked out. 71.104.150.83 04:13, 8 January 2007 (UTC)DeeKenn

Still Catholic
Phil Donahue is still a Catholic, although he is critical of some of the Church's policies. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E1DF1E3FF93BA15757C0A9649C8B63

71.104.150.83 04:04, 8 January 2007 (UTC)DeeKenn


 * Upon reading the New York Times article, mentioned above, in no way does this article make the assertion that Phil Donahue is still a Catholic. It only mentions his disdain for the annulment process. Mr.Donahue has admitted he is not a practicing Catholic, and during his television show's heydays, he routinely mocked Christianity in general, and showed complete contempt for the Catholic Church. He is currenlty listed on several lists as an atheist. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Factcorrect12 (talk • contribs) 20:35, 29 November 2008 (UTC)

Donahue since O'Reilly??
The most recent Donahue event this article mentions is his appearance on the O'Reilly Factor in 2005. In that interview Donahue seemed quite committed to the anti-war effort. Has he been completely silent ever since, or does this article need updating? M. Frederick 00:59, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

I believe that Mr. Donahue is more aware of the situation than most people realize and is simply biding his time for an effective forum which the mainstream media cannot marginalize. We will see. DavoudMSA (talk) 09:04, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

That wasn't the point and this isn't a political forum. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.238.92.21 (talk) 06:01, 27 February 2008 (UTC)
 * why is this even in the article? Is it really noteworthy?  It certainly isn't more noteworthy than the many interviews done that were substantial.  It sounds like O'Reiley bashing to me, and very POV. Bytebear (talk) 23:08, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

Dramatically incomplete
He was a mayor. Research it. Daimerej (talk) 02:03, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

His political activism should be noted
I think Phil Donahue's politial activism should be noted here. He has been active in the anti-war movement and in Nader's 2000 campaign. Matt2h (talk) 03:37, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

Is that Phil Donahue throwing up in a tuba? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.17.119.213 (talk) 15:11, 12 March 2012 (UTC)

Bad Oprah Citation
The citation given for the line, "Oprah Winfrey said "if it weren't for Phil Donahue, there never would have been an Oprah show." is http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Phil-Donahue-First-Time-Video. If you actually listen to the video, Oprah says no such thing. Yes, that text appears on the page, underneath the video - but no matter where it appears, it's completely unsupported by the video. Mike Richardson (talk) 04:47, 24 September 2016 (UTC)

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Phil’s personality
He seems to ask strange questions sometimes, is he all there 2600:1700:BA90:800:31F9:57B:ED8:1F4E (talk) 18:27, 7 December 2022 (UTC)

Career
Donahue’s broadcast career began at WNDU radio in South Bend, Ind. When he was a student at Notre Dame. 216.163.35.111 (talk) 21:34, 26 May 2023 (UTC)


 * That could be interesting information. Is there a reliable source for it?  signed, Willondon (talk)  22:06, 26 May 2023 (UTC)