Rosie O'Donnell's Stormy Stay on ABC's `The View' Will Be a Short One
 

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NEW YORK (Associated Press) -- 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.


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I didn't care for the direction the show was going. It seemed as though Rosie was slowly molding the show into an arm of her old talk show. I much preferred Meredith Viera. I knew this Rosie stint on the View would be a short one. Just my opinion.

I think ABC would love to have her for the three years as she was the reason the rating were boosted. I think Rosie had had enough.

guess i won't be watching anymore :(

i agree with you, i stopped watching after rosie took over~

She basically took over the show, where it was more listening to one person, rather it being a round table discussion. I don't care much for her anyhow.

I'll be watching "Ellen" from now on unless Rosie's visiting on the View. I can't stand Elizabeth H anymore. I still love Joy Behar though:nod:

i love joy too, and i agree about elisabeth ... she just reminds me of to many obnoxious family members. ;) :laugh:

I loved Rosie on The View. Her opinions created dialogue on the show which was much more that when Meredith was on. With Meredith, topics were just reported and not debated. She will be missed and, frankly, will be harder to replace than Meredith was.

I agree!!!

By the way, just saw Lindsey on "Ellen." He and Stevie should kiss, be pals and go out and do the BuckinghamNicks tour:lol: Need more Stevie and Lindsey:nod:

I don't watch the View very often because I'm typically at work, but I can't really say that I think I'd miss her.

I don't care about her opinions really.. she just annoys the hell out of me. I don't like her voice, her facial expressions, or any of her jokes. She's just.. not good tv for me. :shrug:

Too bad. The rest of those ladies are more boring than watching paint dry. Especially Walters...Christ on a cracker.

PS the survivor chick does not belong on television.

I like Rosie. Never watch THE VIEW cause Im at work but the two or three times that I did watch an episode she made me laugh. I'm a big fan of Barbara Walters but she's getting so Nancy Regan in her old age. Yuck.

rbs

I agree... I started taping the show this year to watch her... mainly for the hot topics section.... There were a couple of shows this year where Joy and Elizabeth were there without Barbra but with a co-host and it was very boring I have to say.... They were really struggling. Although Joy is funny, she and Elizabeth, and Barbara for that matter, need someone at the wheel to drive the show otherwise it's kinda flat and they look like they are trying too hard. I was shocked and sad that she's leaving.

But you have to think about it... I read that it was all about the contract and the number of years to commit. ABC apparently wanted stability and her to sign for 3 additional years. Rosie only wanted to sign for one year. If Rosie only wanted to sign for a year at a time, wouldn't ABC be happy with that if they couldn't get her to sign for three years?? Stability or no stability - they should have taken it.

I do too...