PHIL DONAHUE : ANOTHER SACKED NEWSMAN

Phil Donahue with Abby Martin.

In 2003 Phil Donahue was sacked by MSNBC, but not for sexual harassment.

IN THESE DAYS when various television news and current affairs presenters are being sacked for sexual harassment and misconduct, it is worth recalling the case of another sacked newsman - Phil Donahue.

For almost thirty years, until 1996, The Phil Donahue Show appeared on American television screens. It also screened in New Zealand. In all, Donahue recorded over 7,000 episodes.

In 2002 Phil Donahue returned to television on MSNBC and his show quickly became the network's most popular. But in 2003, on the eve of the US-led war in Iraq, Donahue was sacked for allowing anti-war activists to appear on his show.

In 2012 he told Democracy Now: "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."

And what does Phil Donahue now think of Donald Trump? His view is unequivocal: "This is the darkest political moment in American history. Who's going to argue with that?"