Born in Cleveland in 1935, Donahue started in media with talk radio and TV in the late 1950s. He launched his pioneering talk show in 1967. It became simply Donahue after moving to Chicago in 1974. The show grew popular when he added audience participation, a format that became common in daytime TV.
Over nearly three decades, Donahue hosted over 6,000 episodes, making his show a leader in the industry. His innovative style changed daytime TV, especially in appealing to female audiences. His show was among the first to see that women wanted more than just traditional topics; they sought meaningful discussions about the world.