An O'Donnell without a View

[Skylace]

Rosie O'Donnell's stormy tenure on "The View" will be a short one. The opinionated host was unable to agree on a contract with ABC, and she'll leave the show in June.

"My needs for the future just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me," O'Donnell said in a statement Wednesday.

"This has been an amazing experience," she said, "and one I wouldn't have traded for the world."

O'Donnell has helped raise the ratings for the daytime chat show invented by Barbara Walters. But her outspokenness has caused almost constant controversy, including a nasty name-calling feud with Donald Trump that placed Walters squarely in the middle.

"I induced Rosie to come back to television on 'The View' even for just one year," Walters said. "She has given the program new vigor, new excitement and wonderful hours of television. I can only be grateful to her for this year."

Walters was frequently left to clean up the damage after O'Donnell. She did it most recently Monday, when O'Donnell was criticized for using bad language and attacking Rupert Murdoch from the dais of the annual New York Women in Communication awards luncheon.

"I would like to point out that Rosie's view is not always mine," Walters said. "I would like to say for the record that I am very fond of Rupert Murdoch."

In the Trump imbroglio, O'Donnell was reportedly mad that Walters did not come more swiftly to her defense, while Trump said Walters told him she didn't want O'Donnell on the show -- a claim Walters denied.

Statements by public figures are being watched more closely in the post-Don Imus era. The lobbying group Focus on the Family said it was preparing to contact advertisers on "The View" as part of a campaign against O'Donnell. The group is angry at O'Donnell for comments they feel were insulting to Catholics.

Despite controversy -- or maybe because of it -- O'Donnell was good business for ABC, owned by the Walt Disney Co. Ratings for "The View" during February sweeps were up 15 percent in key women demographics over the same time in 2006.

Bill Carroll, an expert in the syndication market for Katz Television, said he'd be surprised if ABC didn't try hard to keep O'Donnell, given the attention she brought to the long-running show.

The timing of the announcement doesn't particularly suit O'Donnell if she wants to remain in daytime television. She wouldn't be able to introduce a new program to the syndication market until September 2008, he said. But the company that produced O'Donnell's long-running daytime show has expressed interest in having her back, he said.

[Aja]

I've never really liked the view .....But I do like Rosie ....Outspoken nutter she is .....

So I will not be watching when she leaves .....

[faceless]

[Mandy]

I bet the issue wasn't any of the above issues, but her recent anti-bush & 911 conspiracy stand. Rosie O'Donnell rose to challenge the establishment view only last month.

It didn't long for the MSM to get rid of a new thorn on their side. Quote from WRH : "This is the price for speaking truth to power."




Update : She may be doing a GG ... i.e. setting up her own show :

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11411
"Rosie O' Donnell Closer to Solo Show" ... Bound to get a HUGE rating after the above background.

[nekokate]

What was the name of Rosie's co-host?? May-I-see-a Gay Hard-on?

I could only stomach about 2 minutes of that clip - bunch of idiots repeating things they'd heard more intelligent people say on more interesting programmes.

[Mandy]

[nekokate]

ok, ok. I'll watch it all

[nekokate]

What torture. Who the hell was that blonde in the red top and the fuck-me shoes? I wouldn't have been surprised if the cupid stunt had been holding a small handbag with a sedated poodle peeking out the top.

"I trust our allies much more than I trust our enemies" - Well duh, but Iran aren't our enemies; we're not at war with them you pixel-brained moron!

"If we don't implement tougher sanctions we'll have a war here (meaning within the US)" - Absolute bullshit. There is no possible way Iran could or would invade the United States of America. The aggression is weighted heavily on the side of the USA. Who's battleships are currently on who's coasts?

"Oil is power, do you really want to turn that over to them?!" - It's their oil!!

Ugh, someone strangle her.

... Rosie was ok, though.

[Mandy]

The blond was probably a relative of Cheney ...

[IRiSHMaFIA]

Well this should make me as popular as a skunk at a garden party but....I can't stand the woman myself. She's a bit too abrasive for my liking.

I think The View should be thankful she's not coming back. It's like having a boil cut off their arse.

[faceless]

judging by the others I've seen in that clip I reckon without her they're just a bunch of bland "red-hats" talking shite on afternoon tv!

[IRiSHMaFIA]

[faceless]

[Mandy]

You would have to blindfold me if you wanted me to miss the show if Rosie managed to get experts to discuss WTC 7's "fire melts steel" miracle.

[IRiSHMaFIA]