MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO, THE: WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL 1996: AN EVENING WITH PHIL DONAHUE, PT. 2 OF 2 {LONG VERSION}

Summary

Continued from T:47628. Part two of two. One in a series of evenings and special screenings as presented as part of The Museum of Television & Radio's William S. Paley Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Directors Guild of America Theatre Complex, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television, and is dedicated to television's creative community. This evening honors the work of television talk-show host, journalist, and interviewer Phil Donahue.

Part two begins as Donahue answers audience members' questions, leading him to comment on the following topics, among others: the growing concentration of the media; the corporate structure of the news; the popularity contest that rules the news industry and its effect on the standards of journalism; advocacy for homosexuals; growing up in an all-white society; Ralph Nader; Gloria Steinem; people he admires; his plans for the future; the role of ratings; the validity of other talk shows; the need for a different school system; the so-called feud between himself and David Susskind; the importance of entertainment in any television show; television as a celebrity-driven medium; the rumor that Procter & Gamble is run by devil worshippers; "The Jerry Springer Show"; the guests who made him nervous; the reasons he would not pursue a career in politics; specific programs that made him emotional; the evolution of his show; the ways in which he dealt with having sudden competition; his love for issues; the clutter of present-day television formats; the short attention span of viewers; the wall-to-wall commercials and promotions that occur during news programs; the overwhelming importance of ratings in today's television industry; and the problems with a news industry that is based on popularity.

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