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Ohio native and talk show legend Phil Donahue dead at 88

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOSU) — Legendary talk show host Phil Donahue has died at the age of 88.

Phil Donahue attends the 2019 American Icon Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel
Phil Donahue attends the 2019 American Icon Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Sunday May 19, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. [Richard Shotwell | Invision | AP]
Several media reports state that he died Sunday night after a long illness.

Donahue was born in Cleveland in 1935.

He worked as a journalist in Dayton before launching his self-titled talk show in 1967.

When “The Phil Donahue Show” first started, it only aired in four cities: Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis. In 1970, the show went into national syndication and ran until 1996.

His program is credited as one of the first talk shows to address controversial topics including abortion, alcoholism and LGBTQ issues. The show was also the first to include audience participation.

He received several Daytime Emmy Awards for his show.

Earlier this year, Donahue was named as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

He was married to actress Marlo Thomas for 44 years and was the father of five childen.