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What a day. Celebrating Sue Simmons 80th birthday with the great Chuck Scarborough @alroker and @JaniceHuff4ny Best people and best news team ever. Couldn’t be prouder to be part of this amazing group!
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Great story Adam. I began my career at that TV station and when a guest would show up "off hours" we would call friends and relatives to come on down and make up the audience. One time, my wife came by to watch Sammy Davis Jr. Very cool.
Today in 1967, “The Phil Donahue Show” debuted on local TV in Dayton, Ohio.
By then, Merv Griffin and Mike Douglas hosted popular daytime talk shows that mixed celebrity interviews, music and comedy. Donahue took a different approach, partly because he had to.
Working in Dayton LA, he did not have a steady stream of big-name celebrities walking through the door. Instead, Donahue devoted each show to a single guest or subject, often focusing on things Americans were arguing about, including religion, social change and Vietnam.
His first guest was atheist activist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, who had helped challenge school-sponsored prayer. That same week, the show aired footage of a childbirth and a discussion about the cost of dying. Not exactly the usual mid-morning fare.
Early on, Donahue noticed that audience members were asking tougher questions during commercial breaks than he was asking on the air. He began walking through the crowd with a mic, letting them question his guests directly. It became the show’s trademark and helped pave the way for Oprah Winfrey and other daytime talk show hosts, including Jerry Springer.
“The Phil Donahue Show” went national in 1970. By then, the big shots were coming to Ohio. Even Johnny Carson, eight years into “The Tonight Show” and already the biggest name in late-night television, made the trip.
One audience member wasn’t shy. She asked Carson whether his sidekick Ed McMahon really drank as much as people said.
“Is the pope Catholic?” Carson replied.
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Thanks so much Roger. And congratulations on your success
Congratulations! You were a big part of my decision to attend @NewhouseSU and inspiration to get into broadcasting along with @realbobcostas and Marv Albert. I’m also a fellow @StuyNY grad!
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Thanks so much Rich!
Love this on so many different levels. Was just doing my podcast with Ian Eagle & told him we shared sportscasting heroes: Marv, Bob, & Len.
@NewhouseSports Forever! 🍊🍊🍊
And Mazel Tov, @LenBermanSports
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Thanks so much Steve. So nice of you!
Sincere CONGRATS @LenBermanSports. I will always appreciate being able to watch, learn, and later be within your professional circle and will always appreciate “Spanning The World.” Congrats Len!
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Thanks Andrew. So nice of you. I’ve been enjoying your broadcasts
@LenBermanSports congrats Len! So well deserved. Thanks for setting such a great example for all of us 🍊
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Thanks so much for this honor. And thanks to the legends who honored me with the surprise announcement. So happy to receive this award named for one of my mentors
Big news from @NewhouseSports as we announce the 2026 Marty Glickman Award winner, Len Berman ('68).
Len covered major events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, and Olympics for NBC.
More information about the ceremony will be announced soon.
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Wouldn't it be nice if all of the news media boycotted the White House in solidarity?
President Donald Trump said Friday that he is "banning" CNN, MS NOW and Politico "from the White House." The president said it was "effective immediately," but there was no indication his administration had taken any steps to follow through. cnn.it/4ri29Iy
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Agreed Bob. Just a terrific guy.
Details now a bit fuzzy for me, but I got a call at MSG years ago asking if I wanted to interview Michael J. Fox late morning in Greenwich Village. It must have had something to do with sports. I spent so much time in the Village but had never been there that early. I met Michael in an empty restaurant they were using. He was perhaps THE nicest, most down-to-earth big star I ever met!
What an inspirational role model!
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