Talk:Phil Donahue

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1 Source for programs on DVD or VHS?
2 Ratings
3 Donahue's MSNBC ratings confusion
4 NCSU speech
5 Still Catholic

[edit] Source for programs on DVD or VHS?

Does anyone know who may be selling a catalogue of the syndicated Donahue talk show? I'm particularly interested in shows dealing with the antinuclear movement of the 1970s and 1980s or feminist-themed shows. I've looked all over and I haven't found any source for **any** shows. I know copyright issues may be a factor, but does anyone know of any shows that may have been legitimately sold out there? -- Arthur

[edit] 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)

[edit] 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 courageous anti-war views. GMAFB. RonMexico 16:34, 2 December 2005 (UTC)

Why is his liberal political leanings (ok, more than 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)

[edit] 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