About Talk-Show Hosts

A talk show television or radio program would not be popular without a popular host. Johnny Carson, Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, Barbara Walters and Ellen DeGeneres are some of the most popular talk show hosts in television history. Talk shows explore topics, issues and entertainment depending on their focus and often feature live guests who are experts or well known in their fields.

Significance

Talk show hosts are facilitators, but they are also personalities. A television talk show is often built around the personality that hosts the show. Oprah Winfrey, for example, provides a warm, inviting personality who is at all times very real. Her personality and television show reflects her personal viewpoints and sense of style. Winfrey hosts a wide variety of guests from political figures to Hollywood actors to authors and more. Her influence on modern American culture is considerable.

Function

A talk show host doubles as both the emcee and the moderator. They serve as moderators when they have multiple guests. During his tenure as a talk show host on the television program "Politically Incorrect," Bill Maher provided moderator services as he kept the discussion focused and the guests in line. Talk show hosts like Jerry Springer and Sally Jessy Raphael offered a different form of moderation as their guests were often real people in bad situations, such as husbands who cheated on their wives.

Types

Different types of talk shows include radio call-in talk shows, social issues talk shows, political issues talk shows, sports talk shows and humorous late-night entertainment talk shows. Each talk show requires different things of the hosts. While talk show hosts definitely stamp a show with their personalities (Johnny Carson, Arsenio Hall, Geraldo Rivera), they also fulfill a designated role necessary to a talk show's success. In a radio call-in show, the talk show host may field questions or make humorous remarks according to the talk show's requirements.

History

Talk shows and talk show hosts have existed as long as the mediums of radio and television have been on the air. The first documented talk show to air on television began in 1951. In the late 1950s and early 60s, Edward R. Murrow became a household name as he discussed politics and life in America on Sundays. Talk show hosts come and go, some last a season and others last decades. Johnny Carson made a huge name for himself as the host of "The Tonight Show." When he retired in 1992 after 30 years on the air, fans couldn't imagine the show being hosted by anyone else. Comedian Jay Leno took over and, after a rocky start, found himself embraced by a new generation of fans.

Identification

Talk show hosts are often identified as expert resources to their very public audiences. When Oprah Winfrey made statements against the cattle industry, cattleman's associations took her to court and sued for lost income. They felt that her fans so identified with Winfrey and her expertise that she could influence their product buying or boycotting. Other talk show hosts are so identified with their tabloid shows (Jerry Springer, Maury Povich) that the public refuses to believe in them as serious journalists.