Notable people · Journalism · Broadcasting
Phil Donahue
Cleveland-born broadcaster who worked in Dayton at WHIO and launched The Phil Donahue Show on WLWD on November 6, 1967. Its format of audience participation and call-ins shaped the daytime talk show; the show ran nationally until 1996. Presidential Medal of Freedom 2024.
At a glance
- Born
- 1935-12-21
- Died
- 2024-08-18
- Education
- University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, to 1957, BBA
- Known as
- Journalism, Broadcasting
- Organizations
- WLWD, WHIO-TV
Life story
Phil Donahue was born in Cleveland in 1935 to an Irish Catholic family and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1957.
He started as a production assistant at KYW in Cleveland, then worked in Dayton. His show began there in 1967, with the host walking into the audience for questions.
The show went national in 1970, moved to Chicago in 1974 and New York in 1985, and ended in 1996 after 29 years.
He married Marlo Thomas in 1980, co-directed the film Body of War, and died in New York in 2024.
Timeline
- 1935-12-21: Born (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1957: Graduates Notre Dame; production assistant at KYW (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1967: Launches The Phil Donahue Show (Dayton, OH) source
- 1970: National syndication (United States) source
- 1974: Show moves to Chicago (Chicago, IL) source
- 1980-05-21: Marries Marlo Thomas (United States) source
- 1996: Final episode (New York) source
- 2024-08-18: Dies (New York) source
What Phil is known for
- The Phil Donahue Show launched in Dayton on WLWD, 1967-11-06
- Run of 29 years, ended 1996
- The Phil Donahue Show (1967-1996)
- Body of War (2006, co-director)
Honors and things named for them
- Eight Daytime Emmy Awards
- Peabody Award (1980)
- Television Hall of Fame (1993)
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (2024)
Family
- wife: Margaret Cooney
- wife: Marlo Thomas
- son: Michael Donahue
- son: Kevin Donahue
- son: Daniel Donahue
- daughter: Mary Rose Donahue
- son: James Donahue
Ohio places
Where Phil Donahue was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County ZIP 44114 · Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
- Worked: Dayton (WHIO, WLWD), Montgomery County ZIP 45402 · Dayton · Montgomery County
Myths and corrections
- Disputed: His show is called the first audience-participation talk show. Some cite Ruth Lyons's earlier Cincinnati shows as a precedent, so the word first is contested.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Phil Donahue (Wikipedia) born Cleveland 1935-12-21; died NYC 2024-08-18; Notre Dame 1957; WHIO; WLWD show 1967-11-06; run to 1996