Legendary US TV Host Phil Donahue Passes Away at 88
He served as a co-host for a series of US-USSR “space bridges” during the 1980s, which allowed citizens from both nations to communicate directly with one another. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Phil Donahue has passed away at the age of 88 following a lengthy illness. The pioneering television journalist was renowned for his interactive talk show that spanned nearly three decades and his role in facilitating cultural dialogues with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Donahue passed away on Sunday surrounded by his wife Marlo Thomas, his sister, children, and grandchildren. The family did not disclose the specific cause of his death.
Launching in 1967 on a station in Dayton, Ohio, ‘The Phil Donahue Show’ quickly gained popularity. By 1970, the show was syndicated nationwide and was later known simply as ‘Donahue.’ Donahue's show relocated to Chicago in 1974 and to New York City a decade later, with its final episode airing in September 1996.
Donahue's guest list over the years is a who's who of notable figures including then-presidential candidate and later President John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and intellectual Noam Chomsky.
During the 1980s, Donahue along with Soviet journalist Vladimir Pozner, pioneered the US-Soviet "space bridges," a novel concept that connected live audiences in the two superpowers to foster direct communication.
Phil Donahue, remembered also for his series of "space bridges" telecasts during the Cold War, has died, it was reported by Sputnik on Twitter.
One memorable interaction during these broadcasts was in 1986 during the “Women Talk to Women” segment from Leningrad to Boston, which spawned the meme “There is no sex in the USSR!”
Pozner later indicated that these telecasts were much more popular in the USSR, drawing an audience of about 180 million, significantly more than the eight million viewers in the US, where several networks opted not to broadcast the program.
Returning from retirement in July 2002, Donahue hosted a program on MSNBC, but it was abruptly canceled in February 2003 amid controversy. A leaked internal memo suggested that Donahue’s opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq posed a branding issue for NBC, given its corporate connection to General Electric, a military contractor.
In 2007, Donahue disclosed that during his time at MSNBC, he was required to feature two conservative guests for every liberal guest, noting humorously, “I was counted as two liberals.”
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden honored Donahue with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his wide-ranging contributions to American culture and international peace.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
Donahue passed away on Sunday surrounded by his wife Marlo Thomas, his sister, children, and grandchildren. The family did not disclose the specific cause of his death.
Launching in 1967 on a station in Dayton, Ohio, ‘The Phil Donahue Show’ quickly gained popularity. By 1970, the show was syndicated nationwide and was later known simply as ‘Donahue.’ Donahue's show relocated to Chicago in 1974 and to New York City a decade later, with its final episode airing in September 1996.
Donahue's guest list over the years is a who's who of notable figures including then-presidential candidate and later President John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and intellectual Noam Chomsky.
During the 1980s, Donahue along with Soviet journalist Vladimir Pozner, pioneered the US-Soviet "space bridges," a novel concept that connected live audiences in the two superpowers to foster direct communication.
Phil Donahue, remembered also for his series of "space bridges" telecasts during the Cold War, has died, it was reported by Sputnik on Twitter.
One memorable interaction during these broadcasts was in 1986 during the “Women Talk to Women” segment from Leningrad to Boston, which spawned the meme “There is no sex in the USSR!”
Pozner later indicated that these telecasts were much more popular in the USSR, drawing an audience of about 180 million, significantly more than the eight million viewers in the US, where several networks opted not to broadcast the program.
Returning from retirement in July 2002, Donahue hosted a program on MSNBC, but it was abruptly canceled in February 2003 amid controversy. A leaked internal memo suggested that Donahue’s opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq posed a branding issue for NBC, given its corporate connection to General Electric, a military contractor.
In 2007, Donahue disclosed that during his time at MSNBC, he was required to feature two conservative guests for every liberal guest, noting humorously, “I was counted as two liberals.”
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden honored Donahue with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his wide-ranging contributions to American culture and international peace.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
