by Joe Courter
In late August 1990 there was a media frenzy in Gainesville around the infamous student murders. Satellite trucks were all over town covering every press conference, and throwing mics in peoples’ faces. Into that came Phil Donahue on Sept. 7, who asked for and was allowed to do his one-hour live 9am show from the downtown plaza (now Bo Diddley Plaza). Donahue passed away on Aug. 18 of this year. Below is an article from the Tampa Bay Times from Sept. 8, 1990, as well as a Democracy Now! interview with Donahue from Nov. 14, 2014.
From the Tampa Bay Times:
Phil Donahue was a not a popular visitor when he came to town Friday. The mayor, police chief and University of Florida president refused to appear on Donahue’s television show, a segment about the slayings of five college students. A letter to the editor in the Gainesville Sun urged residents to boycott the show.
As the show was being broadcast from a downtown courtyard Friday morning, someone cut five camera cables that were attached to the Donahue production truck. Viewers around the nation saw a blank screen for a few seconds until the director switched to the one camera that was still connected.
That vandalism appears to reflect the city’s growing frustration with the army of reporters, photographers and television technicians that has swarmed into town to cover the killings. Residents, students and some city officials have complained about rude reporters, sensationalized news coverage and negative stories that may have tarnished the town’s image.
“I don’t think this town is as scared as the news media would make it out to be,” said Tim Morris, a 30-year-old pizza delivery man. “It’s been overblown.”
I was right there, the Plaza was full, and Jenny Brown and I were up in the right front on a raised area, near the production bus. First [thing] we knew, this guy bolts out of the bus, runs around the back, and then asks a nearby cop for help. The cop moves out to the street, looks both way, and shrugs his shoulders … nothing to see. The guy run out to Donahue’s assistant, she tells Donahue and they adapt to one camera, and the tech guy starts running out new cables. I know Phil never forgot it, and I don’t see it being done against him specifically, but, well … there he was.
In my imagination I see one person on a bike, with a machete or hatchet, rolling up, taking a couple strokes and pedaling away. To me they were acting as the conscience of Gainesville, and only they and perhaps a friend or two know who they were. But if you are out there reading this, we thank you.
From Democracy Now!:
Phil Donahue (December 21, 1935 – August 18, 2024) was one of the best-known talk show hosts in U.S. television history. The Phil Donahue Show was on the air for almost 30 years, until 1996. In 2002, Donahue returned to the airwaves, but was fired by MSNBC on the eve of the 2003 U.S.-led war in Iraq because he was allowing antiwar voices on the air. We talked to Donahue about his firing and the silencing of antiwar voices by the corporate media — that continues to this day.
Amy Goodman: Phil, you, after your legendary career, what, 29 years on The Phil Donahue Show, you came back and were a—continued to broadcast on MSNBC, prime-time slot, right before the invasion of Iraq. You were the most popular show on MSNBC at the time. And then right before the war, you were unceremoniously dumped. And a secret, later, memo came out of NBC that they didn’t want to have an antiwar voice in their flagship show as the other networks were waving the American flag.
Phil Donahue: Yes, that was a memo published by The New York Times, and it was written up by a Republican pollster, who took a survey, where they put 25 people in a room and showed them one of my aggressive programs, and most of the people didn’t like me, was the result. I was called in to Neal Shapiro’s office and informed.
Amy Goodman: He was at NBC at the time.
Phil Donahue: He was then, yeah; he’s now head of PBS here in New York. So, it was definitely a political termination. And it’s interesting, because during that time, they were terrified. This is — you should know that this is October through—say, August through January — August of ’02 through January and February. The invasion was April of 2003.
Amy Goodman: March.
Phil Donahue: And I was gone by then. But this is not long after the towers. And so, you know, corporate media —
Amy Goodman: You were replaced by Michael Savage.
Phil Donahue: I was replaced by Michael Savage. So, they couldn’t wait to outfox Fox. And I had to have two conservatives for every liberal. And they wanted me to do entertainers. You know, don’t do political. It’s a very interesting study in the thinking at that time. Liberals were terrifying to them. They were afraid of liberals. Liberals weren’t patriotic. Liberals were blaming the victim. Dissent was totally, totally unwelcome and unpatriotic.
Amy Goodman: And yet, you persisted, knowing the climate.
Phil Donahue: Well, I guess so, I mean, you know, at my own peril. But, you know, no sad songs for me. I’m a lucky guy. You know, I got a little money. But we have to wonder whose voice wasn’t heard, you know? That didn’t have the kind of ability to do this kind of thing and at least survive a little while.
Amy Goodman: Well —
Phil Donahue: And interesting — interesting, really. At that time, half the political voice in this nation was silenced, really. And I believe most people at that time opposed this war. Most people did. What are we — why — how come over there? And yet, every metropolitan —every major metropolitan newspaper in this country supported the invasion of Iraq. Think about that for a minute. Every major metropolitan — this is what you can do with the politics of fear, that Bush took this whole nation and the whole media establishment by the ear and led it right into the sword. Amazing, in the land of free speech, free press.
Amy Goodman: Do you see the same thing happening again right now?
Phil Donahue: Well, obviously, you can see that it has slowed us up. But it looks like that’s all it’s done. And while we have been, you know, hesitant and not “bring them on” with the war lust that we had then, mission creep is underway. What happens when somebody is taken prisoner? I mean, we have become a warrior nation, and we have no respect for diplomacy. And we’ve just stood mute while the Constitution has been just shredded. This is a nation of law, unless we’re scared.
Editors’ note: The corporate media is a money-making enterprise, and Trump receives, to this day, more exposure and favorable coverage because it is good for their bottom line. Let us hope, and work for, the retirement of this man-child bully in November.