NEW YORK - Phil Donahue struck back at MSNBC on Wednesday for his firing, suggesting the network was too quick to pull the trigger and that it might be trying to "out-fox Fox" with conservative voices.
Donahue's political talk show, a distant third in the cable news ratings in his time slot, was abruptly pulled from the air after Monday's show. The show premiered last July 15.
The legendary talk show host noted that "Donahue's" ratings were better than anything else in struggling MSNBC's prime-time lineup.
"It took almost three years for Fox (News Channel) to overtake CNN," Donahue said in a statement Wednesday. "We had six months."
"My wish for the people who replace us is a longer time in the ring and a more patient management team loudly cheering on from the corner," he said. "This is the only way for a cable host on MSNBC to have any chance of being a contender."
MSNBC spokesman Alan Winikoff wouldn't comment on Donahue's assertions. "Phil has a right to issue a statement and we respect that," he said.
Donahue, a liberal who stumped for Ralph Nader's presidential candidacy in 2000, said he had been hoping "to break through the noisy drums of war on cable" and become a responsible platform for both sides of the issue.
He noted that the network recently hired conservative commentator Mike Savage as host of a weekend show, and retired GOP politicians Dick Armey and Joe Scarborough as contributors.
This suggests "a strategy to out-fox Fox," he said.
Meanwhile, the Web site www.allyourtv.com posted a commentary on Wednesday by Rick Ellis saying that he had been leaked an internal NBC study that described Donahue as "a tired, left-wing liberal out of touch with the current marketplace."
The report allegedly said Donahue presented a difficult face for NBC at a time of war, saying a nightmare scenario would be one in which his show becomes "a home for the liberal anti-war agenda at the same time our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity."
Marlaine Selip, executive producer of "Donahue," said she was unaware of any such report.
"I think it's pretty incredible, if in fact it's true," she said.
Winikoff and Allison Gollust, spokeswoman for NBC News president Neal Shapiro, said they weren't aware that any such study existed. Gollust said the network wouldn't comment on an internal report anyway.
"Donahue," which is presenting reruns until the end of the week, will be replaced by an expanded version of MSNBC's war preparation news show "Countdown: Iraq."
According to Nielsen Media Research, the audience for Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" at 8 p.m. EST was six times larger than that for "Donahue."
Donahue's political talk show, a distant third in the cable news ratings in his time slot, was abruptly pulled from the air after Monday's show. The show premiered last July 15.
The legendary talk show host noted that "Donahue's" ratings were better than anything else in struggling MSNBC's prime-time lineup.
"It took almost three years for Fox (News Channel) to overtake CNN," Donahue said in a statement Wednesday. "We had six months."
"My wish for the people who replace us is a longer time in the ring and a more patient management team loudly cheering on from the corner," he said. "This is the only way for a cable host on MSNBC to have any chance of being a contender."
MSNBC spokesman Alan Winikoff wouldn't comment on Donahue's assertions. "Phil has a right to issue a statement and we respect that," he said.
Donahue, a liberal who stumped for Ralph Nader's presidential candidacy in 2000, said he had been hoping "to break through the noisy drums of war on cable" and become a responsible platform for both sides of the issue.
He noted that the network recently hired conservative commentator Mike Savage as host of a weekend show, and retired GOP politicians Dick Armey and Joe Scarborough as contributors.
This suggests "a strategy to out-fox Fox," he said.
Meanwhile, the Web site www.allyourtv.com posted a commentary on Wednesday by Rick Ellis saying that he had been leaked an internal NBC study that described Donahue as "a tired, left-wing liberal out of touch with the current marketplace."
The report allegedly said Donahue presented a difficult face for NBC at a time of war, saying a nightmare scenario would be one in which his show becomes "a home for the liberal anti-war agenda at the same time our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity."
Marlaine Selip, executive producer of "Donahue," said she was unaware of any such report.
"I think it's pretty incredible, if in fact it's true," she said.
Winikoff and Allison Gollust, spokeswoman for NBC News president Neal Shapiro, said they weren't aware that any such study existed. Gollust said the network wouldn't comment on an internal report anyway.
"Donahue," which is presenting reruns until the end of the week, will be replaced by an expanded version of MSNBC's war preparation news show "Countdown: Iraq."
According to Nielsen Media Research, the audience for Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" at 8 p.m. EST was six times larger than that for "Donahue."
Donahue Is a tired left-wing liberal out of touch with the marketplace and reality.