As late-night talk shows undergo major changes and controversy, a new poll finds most Americans don't watch them regularly and the ones who do are more likely to be Democrats. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll shows only about a quarter of Americans say they have watched a late-night show at least once a month in the past year. But about one-third of Democrats say they've done this monthly over the last year, compared with about 2 in 10 Republicans or independents. The poll was conducted after the announcement of Stephen Colbert's show being canceled but before Jimmy Kimmel's suspension.
Phil Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre, has died. He was 88. NBC's 'Today' show, citing family members, said that Donahue died Sunday. Dubbed "the king of daytime talk," Donahue was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show. The decision set "The Phil Donahue Show" apart from other 1960s interview shows and influenced a format that made household names of Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and many others. Later renamed "Donahue," it had a 26-year national run and won 20 Emmys. Donahue lived in New York with his wife, actress Marlo Thomas.
