DAYTON, OHIO — In August 2024, at the age of 88, iconic daytime television talk host Phil Donahue passed away. On Monday, Donahue, who interviewed authors and actors, politicians and polemics, over a decades-spanning career, was honored right where it began: a broadcast TV station serving the Miami Valley today owned by Nexstar Media Group.
To be precise, Donahue’s career began at a television station whose offices and studios have been located on S. Dixie Dr. in Moraine, Ohio, since the dawn of TV. Then, the call letters were WLWD-TV, a nod to “WLW in Dayton,” given the then-shared ownership of the station with Crosley Broadcasting Corp. sister WLW-AM and WLWT-TV in Cincinnati. Today, the station is WDTN-TV, which can be found on Channel 2.
On Monday (9/14), a historical marker commemorating Donahue’s contributions to broadcast TV was dedicated in front of the building to the south of the City of Dayton. It was here where The Phil Donahue Show was born, with shows debuting in 1967 and airing from the WLWD studios in syndicated starting in 1970. The program relocated to WGN-TV in Chicago in 1974, and then to New York in 1985. The series concluded in September 1996.
Donahue first honed his craft at WHIO-AM, as host of “Conversation Place.” He hosted the station’s afternoon shift, taking calls from listeners. After four years behind the mic, Donahue in 1967 departed and moved in front of the camera. As Streamline Publishing sales associate and longtime Dayton media figure George Wymer recalls, Donahue featured atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair as his first guest.
After seven years of retirement, Donahue briefly revived his eponymous program on CNBC. It ran from July 2002-February 2003, and was canceled over a spat regarding his opposition to U.S. military involvement in Iraq.
While largely out of the public eye for the last decade, Donahue on May 3, 2024 was at the White House and awarded by President Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At the event, Donahue was seen in a wheelchair.
At the event, Donahue’s wife, philanthropist/actress/author Marlo Thomas, was present. So was Gov. Mike DeWine. “To have [Marlo] here, at the place where this extraordinary chapter of Phil’s career began, adds such a personal and meaningful dimension to the day,” WDTN General Manager Melissa Jones said.
Television icon Oprah Winfrey, who frequently credited Donahue as a major influence, appeared via a special recorded video message.
FROM THE RBR+TVBR ARCHIVES:
