WELCOME: When Jimmy the Greek disparaged African Americans, he got fired. But when Laura Schlessinger calls gays and lesbians biological errors and pedophiles, Paramount gives her a TV show. While Ms. Schlessinger is free to malign minorities, corporate America is not required subsidize it. In the names of Matthew Shepard, Brandon Teena and too many more, join us in a stand against intolerance, and double standards.

LATEST NEWS
12/18: Is Dr. Laura Downgraded in YOUR City
Check out this very cool link, to Dr. Laura's OWN WEB SITE, to check whether Dr. Laura's TV show has been downgraded to the wee morning hours in your home town.  It's quite easy, and quite fun - for example, I found out that her show is now on at 2:05AM in NYC, 1:40AM in Chicago, but still on at 1PM in Washington, DC.  

12/15: Paramount Loses $1m on Laura
According to a new story in Variety, Paramount has lost over $1 million on the Dr. Laura TV, and the show's very public and very big failure has reportedly sent ripples through Hollywood.  Too bad none of this ripples have hit Paramount or Viacom, who, according to Variety, continue to stand by the show.  Read the entire story here.

12/7: Dayton Downgrades Laura
"Following the lead of many other television stations nationwide, WHIO-TV, Channel 7, on Monday moved Dr. Laura Schlessinger's show from 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. weekdays. In its place, Channel 7 now airs two episodes of Family Feud from 10 to 11 a.m." - Dayton Daily News, 12/5/00.

12/6: Houston Downgrades Laura
According to one of our viewers, KPRC channel 2 in Houston has moved Laura from 2:00 PM to 3:05 AM starting 12/4/00.

12/5: Little Rock Dumps Laura Radio
Little Rock has canceled Dr. Laura's syndicated radio show, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports.

12/2: Laura's Cleveland Ratings Stink
"The November sweeps might have been the last for Laura Schlessinger, whose "Dr. Laura" daytime show was relegated to late-night slots by stations in the nation’s five biggest markets. Locally, at 10 a.m. on TV-3, her show ran fourth in the time slot and 40 percent lower than the nearest competitor with a meager 1.8 rating/7 share." - Cleveland Plain Dealer, 12/2/00.

12/2: Laura Wins Sour Apple Award
"Variety columnist Army Archerd reports that picking the winner of the Hollywood Women’s Press Club’s annual Sour Apple award was easy as pie—the only nominee was Dr. Laura Schlessinger. The advice-dispensing physiologist angered gay activists by calling homosexuals “deviant” and homosexuality a “biological error”; since then her syndicated television show has suffered sponsor abdications, terrible reviews, and banishment to late-night time slots..." - From the Daily Advocate, Dec. 24, 2000.

12/1: Seattle Dumps Laura!
Ok, so I wrote the paragraph below way too soon.  Seattle NBC affiliate KYW-TV is reportedly dropping the Dr. Laura TV show, shipping it over to independent station KONG-TV 16.  

12/1: Laura Still in Limbo
Why no recent updates about Dr. Laura's TV show?  Because ever since the CBS owned and operated stations banished Schlessinger's TV show to early morning slots, there hasn't been much news about the good doctor.  In most of the country's major markets, she's now been moved to 2, 3 and 4 AM slots, a death knell according to industry experts. In Philly, the local CBS affiliate dumped the show completely. There have also been tons of rumors that Paramount has canceled the show, and that Laura has walked off the set in anger (none of these are confirmed).  But just because there isn't any hard news about Laura, doesn't mean we aren't here, watching and waiting. Stay tuned.

11/7: Philly to Drop Dr. Laura!!!!!
StopDrLaura.com learned early today, confidentially, that the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia is dropping the Dr. Laura TV show effective Friday, November 10 - as that news has now been made public, we can now report it. The news that Philly will be the first US station to drop the Dr. Laura TV show comes on the heel of news that the CBS owned and operated affiliates have relegated the Dr. Laura TV show to the early morning hours.

11/7: Did Paramount Censor "Frasier"?
The Los Angeles Times is reporting today that it looks like Paramount may have censored the "Frasier" show because it made fun of Laura Schlessinger. In a critically-aclaimed episode, the cast takes on "Dr. Nora," a raving moralistic lunatic who has her own radio talk show, even though she's not a "real" doctor. If it's rue that Paramount yanked the Nora episode to appease Laura, it would mean that Paramount is willing to take TV shows off the air when they criticize high-paid business partners, but not when they defame gays and lesbians. What was Paramount saying about freedom of speech???

11/7: Laura Downgraded to Late Night
The Hollywood Reporter and Variety today are reporting that the "Dr. Laura" TV show is headed for the "post-1 a.m. graveyard" as of next week on CBS owned and operated stations, meaning 6 of the top 10 TV markets in the counry, including the crucial markets of NY, LA and Chicago. According to the experts, this has meant the death knell for other troubled shows in the past.

10/30: 'All My Children' Goes After Laura?
"All My Children," ABC's hit soap opera, reportedly went after Laura Schlessinger today when one of the main characters "came out" and said (this may be a paraphrase): "I'm not blind or deaf. I know what's out there. I know what people say. Talk show hosts call people like me 'unnatural.' All I know is what I am -- it doesn't feel unnatural. The only thing that is unnatural is the way people react to me." Gee, wonder who she's referring to...

10/29: Laura to be replaced?
"Caroline Rhea is rumored to be taping a talk show pilot for Paramount TV, which is being rushed into production as a back up for the low-rated "Dr. Laura Show," according to gossip columnist Michael Starr from the New York Post." Read the entire story here.

10/29: Schlessinger Takes on Barbara Walters
Schlessinger took on Barbara Walters recently over a photo of Walters in a bathrobe that Schlessinger found distasteful. Walters and her cohosts on their daily daytime TV show "The View" retailiated by flashing one of Schlessinger's infamous nude pictures on the air (you'll recall that two years ago a former boyfriend of Schlessinger released nude photos of the talk show host taken while he was having an affair with her during her first marriage).

10/25: See the West Wing Video Here!
Last week, NBC's hit TV show "The West Wing" savaged Laura Schlessinger. We've now got the clip of this brilliant scene online. Check it out here - you won't be disappointed (each clip is around 1.4 megs). Clip 1, Clip 2.  And as thanks, let's everyone watch this really great show (Wednesdays, 9PM EST).

10/22: Paramount Retooling Laura Show, AGAIN.
Paramount has announced that they are retooling the Laura TV show again, in a last ditch bid to save the show in the face of terrible ratings and an advertiser stamped out the door. According to the press, this time they're going to let Laura REALLY be Laura (though this is what they said the first time they retooled the show only 2 weeks ago).

10/22: Schlessinger's "Apology" Not an Apology
"Buzzers going off. That is not an apology. She is justifying her position and saying, in effect,'"I'd say the same thing again only with milder words.' And if she is such an Orthodox Jew, she would know that 'Teshuvah,' or repentance, requires remorse and action to correct the hurt. Read the entire Ventura County Star article.

10/22: Right Wing Attacks Laura
"Syndicated talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger is great at telling her callers to stand up for their principles. But under pressure from homosexual activists, the doctor found it impossible to defend her own. In a full-page ad in Variety, Schlessinger abjectly apologized for once calling homosexuality ``deviant.''" Read the entire Boston Herald story.

10/22: Schlessinger Parodied on Law & Order Too
First, Schlessinger was lampooned on West Wing, now we find via the Minneapolis Star Tribune, that the show following it, Law & Order, did the same. Apparently, they put a "radio psychologist" on the stand who under questioning revealed she was NOT a real doctor, but rather had a PhD in kinetics (Schlessinger's is in physiology).

10/18: Transcript of West Wing
Gay journalist Rex Wockner has transcribed the "West Wing" segment blasting Laura Schlessinger. It's a must-read - click here to read it.

10/18: "West Wing" Savages Laura
The Emmy-award-winning TV show "West Wing" included a blistering attack tonight on an uptight anti-gay pseudo-doctor who bore a striking resemblance in background to Laura Schlessinger. Martin Sheen's character, the President, starts questioning this woman about what kind of doctor she is, asks how she can give counseling when her PhD is in an unrelated field, criticizes her offensive views of homosexuality, then launches into a paraphrase of that famous email about Dr. Laura and the Bible. A truly amazing show. Feel free to contact the "West Wing" via their Web form and thank them.

10/17: Time Life Drops Laura/Stations Move Her
In double good news, Time Life, Inc. has finally pulled it rather extensive national advertising on the "Dr. Laura" TV show, and two stations have moved "Dr. Laura" to less important time slots. Stations WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, NY, has reportedly moved "Dr. Laura" from its prime 3 p.m. timeslot to 10 a.m, and as previously reported, WKFT-TV (Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, North Carolina) moves "Dr. Laura" from 5 p.m. to 2 p.m.

10/10: Laura Apologizes, Again
In the October 11 edition of Variety, Laura Schlessinger again apologizes to the gay community for her anti-gay rhetoric. She issued an earlier apology on March 10, then retracted it five days later. Read her latest apology here.

10/5: Laura Reportedly Caught With Fake Guests
Access Hollywood reports that the "Dr. Laura" TV show may have been caught red-handed showcasing fake guests. Apparently, a member of Schlessinger's own staff (right) appeared on the show two days in a row, each time as a guest with a different problem (and not identified as a Laura staffer). Check out an 840k excerpt of this great Access Hollywood piece from October 4, 2000.

10/5: EXTRA: All of Canada Dumps Laura!!!
In an amazing development, the Dr. Laura TV show is being yanked off the air IN ALL OF CANADA! Perhaps quite fitting, the decision came to light yesterday, the day of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's state funeral. Trudeau was a great defender of gay rights, my Canadian friends tell me - including being responsible for the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada over 30 years ago. What a wonderful tribute to a great man - he leaves his country in good hands. Read the Canadian Press story about this development.

10/4: Carolina TV Station Downgrades Laura
"WKFT in North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville) has become the first major-market station to downgrade 'Dr. Laura.' Beginning Oct. 16, 'KFT will move the show from its plum 5 p.m. timeslot to 2 p.m. because of faltering ratings. Through yesterday, 'Dr. Laura' was averaging a 0.9 on 'KFT, an independent station that had previously been pulling a 2.8 with 'Sally Jessy Raphael' at 5 p.m." Read the NY Post article here.

10/4: ABC: Did Laura Lie About Guests?
"Now the inflammatory Schlessinger is being accused of packing her show with 'plants,' fake guests who are actually on her payroll." Read entire ABCNews.com story here.

10/3: Two Canadian TV Stations Dump Laura
At least two Canadian TV stations, in Toronto (ONtv) and Montreal (CFCF12), no less, announced today that they will be dumping Dr. Laura's TV show, starting next week. More to come on this breaking story.

10/3: Another "plant" spotted on Laura show
The NY Post reveals that yet another plant was spotted on the Dr. Laura TV show (see next news item). According to the paper, Schlessinger's own staff appeared on the show, unidentified, as though they were simply a guest who had the "courage to come here today." Read the Post article here.

10/2: Laura's Ringer "Scandal"
The "Dr. Laura" TV show is facing charges that it places paid ringers in the audience to ask Laura the "right" questions. The NY Daily News asks "What is the right, just, ethical, and moral stand on hiring people to spice up your talk show?" Read the entire article here.

9/29: A real psychiatrist takes on Laura
Psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman, M.D., takes on Laura Schlessinger, and in a big way (you'll recall Ms. Schlessinger got her degree in physiology, studying rats - and not in medicine, psychology or psychiatry as most folks think.) Check out the video of Dr. Carole fighting back (click then scroll down to the link).

9/28: Pfizer says "no more" Laura ads
"It was not our intet to run our advertising during the Dr. Laura show. We have contacted our agencies to insure that our commercials do not run on the show again." Since nearly every advertiser has said the same thing, you gotta ask, was Paramount lying when they repeatedly told the press they had sold out advertising for the show?

9/28: Laura too scary for Spooky World
"She's scary, but Spooky World won't advertise on Dr. Laura Schlessinger's new TV show. Our spooky spies report that Spooky World pulled their ads after fans called complaining that they were, well, horrified by the snippy pseudo shrink!" - Boston Herald, 9/27/00.

9/28: Oxygen Puts Laura in the Doghouse
Oxygen Media's BeFearless.com Web site takes another look at Laura Schlessinger, and it ain't good :-). Read the article here.

9/27: Could Dr. Laura Be Sued?
"Dr. Laura's statements are produced in a California workplace: a television studio. California law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace. If she makes discriminatory statements on her show she may end up with a lawsuit that would teach her an expensive lesson. Employees have the right to be free of discrimination so they can enjoy equal employment opportunity. Statements of prejudice interfere with this right." Feminist attorney Gloria Allred, Dallas Morning News, 9/27/00.

9/21: Paramount Halts Production of "Dr. Laura"
The LA Times reports today that Paramount is temporarily halting production of the Dr. Laura TV show, only 2 weeks after its launch. While some think they may be trying to re-tool the show, as its ratings have been abysmal and the advertisers are dropping like flies, others say that a hiatus in production after only 2 weeks is NOT a good sign. StopDrLaura.com welcomes the news as a sign the show is in trouble, but urges everyone to KEEP CALLING THE ADVERTISERS, now more than ever. Read the entire LA Times story.

9/21: NBC Executive Embarrassed About Laura
According to today's LA Times: "Schlessinger was criticized at a panel of network executives Thursday, when the group was asked--in light of criticism from Washington--if there were programs on television they didn't feel they could defend. 'I'm not embarrassed about anything on television, with the exception of 'Dr. Laura,' ' said Garth Ancier, president of NBC's entertainment unit."

9/20: Canadians Launch Anti-Laura Web site
Some Canadians, upset with Schlessinger's anti-gay rhetoric, have started their own Web site - DrLauraGoHome.com - to urge local advertisers to drop Schlessinger's TV show. The site lists local Canadian TV stations on which Schlessinger is airing, and a slew of advertisers' contact information. In other Canada news, Maple Leaf Foods announced today that it has pulled advertising from the Dr. Laura TV show. Oh Canada!

9/18: NYT: Dr. Laura TV show "a goner"
"Now ratings are in for the first four 'Dr. Laura' shows through Thursday, and media analysts characterized them as weak. Viewership fell 15 to 28 percent compared with the programs that run in time slots just before 'Dr. Laura,' they said, and were off 12 to 28 percent compared with the shows running a year ago that 'Dr. Laura' replaced. 'It's a goner,' said Marc Berman, media analyst for the Mediaweek .com unit of VNU USA, who produces The Programming Insider, a daily e-mail newsletter." Read the entire article.

9/15: Washington Post Slams Laura TV Show
"WHY WOULD PEOPLE want to watch this? Perhaps if all other channels mysteriously went off the air. Even then, the temptation would be to avoid it. 'Dr. Laura' might be endured but seems unlikely to be enjoyed. There was not a peep on any of her opening shows about the topic that has earned Dr. Laura her most vehement detractors: homosexuality. On her radio show, she has labeled it 'deviant' behavior comparable to 'bestiality' and 'pedophilia.' ...Apparently Dr. Laura was of the opinion that gay people hadn’t suffered enough bigotry and ignorance over the years and so she volunteered to offer yet more." Read the entire, wonderful article here.

9/15: Eckerd HealthCare Dumps Laura
"The advertising for the Eckerd HealthCare Discount Plan was placed in a 'stand-by' position which means that the networks aired the spot in any programming at their sole discretion, not at the direction of Eckerd Corporation or its advertising agency. We have notified all networks not to air Eckerd commercials during the 'Dr. Laura' show in the future."

9/15: CB Fleet dumps Laura
CB Fleet, which products Summer's Eve, has notified StopDrLaura.com that it is moving its advertising to other non-Dr. Laura TV shows.

9/15: Texaco dumps Laura
"It is not our policy to purchase advertising time on controversial shows, such as the Dr. Laura Show. Our spot was placed on the show in a decision made solely by the television station as they overlooked our policy. That has been corrected and we are taking steps to ensure that this does not happen again."

9/14: Tons More Drop Laura TV
Sears, Kraft, Kaiser Permanente, Unilever, and America's Best have all pulled their advertising from Dr. Laura's TV show.

9/14: Ontel Drops Laura TV
Ontel, a national sponsor of the Dr. Laura TV show, has notified StopDrLaura.com that they are pulling their advertising from the Dr. Laura TV show.

9/14: Laura's Ratings "Rock Bottom" in NYC
"Radio show host Laura Schlessinger got off to a rocky start with her new daytime TV series, "Dr. Laura," Monday. The series was watched in just 54,500 metropolitan area homes, enough to finish dead last in its 3 p.m. time period. The figure represents a 27% drop from what the station did in the time period in May with a combination of "Inside Edition" and "Hollywood Squares" reruns." - NY Daily News, Sept. 13, 2000.

9/14: Is Laura Paying her TV Audience?
According to a published article, a Dr. Laura TV show audience member, who she interviews on camera, is reportedly a paid extra. The man claims that 80% of the Dr. Laura TV audience is paid to be there, and that 30-40% of them are actors. "Dr. Laura is aware of what all the audience people are doing, that they are paid," he says. That doesn't sound like "Doing the Right Thing" to us. Read the article here.

CLICK HERE to read more news from StopDrLaura.com, and get a feel for the history of this controversy.