Phil Donahue, who ruled daytime talk for years until Oprah overtook him, left a lasting imprint

Phil Donahue, the talk show host who roamed his audience with a microphone and ruled daytime TV for decades, has died at age 88 ByANDREW DALTON AP entertainment writer August 20, 2024, 9:31 AM 1:11 National headlines from ABC News Catch up on the developing stories making headlines. LOS ANGELES -- For nearly two decades, Phil Donahue was virtually the only TV talk show host to roam his audience with microphone and make them an essential part of his show. His huge cultural influence — especially with the women who tended to watch television during the day in his era — finally led to a flock of cultural imitators in the 1980s, including one who would eventually knock him off his perch.