[66] Laura, "The Dr. Laura Program – Top 10 questions", "Laura Schlessinger shifts to satellite radio", 'Dr. Black guys talking to each other seem to think it's OK." After the call Schlessinger said, "If you're that hypersensitive about color and don't have a sense of humor, don't marry out of your race. In 2007, Schlessinger began fundraising for Operation Family Fund, an organization that aids the families of fallen or seriously injured veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The character was also shown to have a degree that belies her therapeutic advice and was estranged from her mother.[98][99]. [2][55], Schlessinger created the Laura Schlessinger Foundation to help abused and neglected children in 1998. Schlessinger announced that, while not retiring from radio, she would end her radio show at the end of 2010: I have made the decision not to do radio anymore. Schlessinger responded that her examples were not racist and that "a lot of blacks only voted for Obama simply because he was half black. [2] Certain aspects of feminism are often discussed on her website; she was a self-proclaimed feminist in the 1970s, but is now opposed to feminism. 5-Nov-1985) University: BS Biological Sciences, SUNY Stony Brook She was the editor, her husband a contributing photographer, and her son the creative consultant. I want to regain my First Amendment rights. [59] In September 2002, the industry magazine Talkers named Schlessinger as the seventh-greatest radio talk-show host of all time. According to her friend Shelly Herman, "Laura lived with Lew for about nine years before she was married to him. After divorcing her husband, Dr. Laura apparently began a nine-year affair with Lewis G. Bishop, a professor of neuro-physiology. Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, an LGBT media watchdog group, began monitoring Schlessinger's on-air comments about LGBT people, posting transcripts of relevant shows on its website. The host of “Dr. [24] Schlessinger's stint on Ballance's show led to her own shows on a series of small radio stations. [22][23], Schlessinger's first appearance on radio was in 1975 when she called in to a KABC show hosted by Bill Ballance. An author, socially conservative commentator, and radio talk show host, Laura Schlessinger is best known for her popular radio segment, The Dr. Laura Program. Schlessinger announced a "multiyear" deal to be on satellite radio. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a licensed marriage and family therapist, is one of the most popular talk-show hosts in radio history and the only woman to win the prestigious Marconi Award for syndicated radio. 1976) Boyfriend: Bill Ballance (talk radio host, extramarital affair 1975-77) Husband: Lew Bishop (professor, cohabited 1976-85, m. 1985, one son) Son: Deryk Schlessinger (b. Laura' receives award", "National Radio Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Class of Inductees", "Lewis Bishop and Laura Schlessinger Marriage Profile", "Dr. Laura's mother found in Beverly Hills condo", "Fatimah Ali: Dr. Laura Schlessinger & the n-word |", "Judge Dismisses Dr. Laura Schlessinger Suit Against Beach Access Owner", "Why I Put Nude Photos of Dr. Laura on the Net", "FULL AUDIO: Dr. Laura Schlessinger's N-word rant", "Dr. Laura caller tells CNN: 'It's never OK to use that word, "SiriusXM StarsCelebrity Hosts & Lifestyle Shows-XL". On the next day's show, "Getting to the Altar," the same guest appeared in different hair and makeup and said she was a woman living with her boyfriend. Her big break came when Sally Jessy Raphael began working at ABC Radio, and Maurice Tunick, former vice president of talk programming for the ABC Radio Networks, needed a regular substitute for Raphael's evening personal-advice show. [65] Schlessinger and Nanci Donnelan (the Fabulous Sports Babe) are the first two women with their own national radio shows to be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. [7][8] Her show moved to the "Sirius XM Stars" satellite radio channel on January 3, 2011. In March 2000, a group of gay activists launched StopDrLaura.com, an online campaign with the purpose of convincing Paramount to cancel Dr. Laura prior to its premiere. [48] Other stations outside of CBS did the same thing, while others moved it to weaker sister stations. Schlessinger was not religious until her son and she started to practice Conservative Judaism in 1996. Like so many before him, George Sodini expressed his frustrations in his MySpace account. [67] Separating from Rudolph, Schlessinger moved to Encino, California in 1975, when she obtained a job in the science department at the University of Southern California. In 2007, Schlessinger was given an Exceptional Public Service award by the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense. "[88], When the caller noted that she was referred to as the "n-word" by the individuals in question, Schlessinger complained that blacks are fine with cordially using the slur among themselves, but that it was wrong when whites used it to slur them. At its peak, The Dr. Laura Program was the second-highest-rated radio show after The Rush Limbaugh Show, and was heard on more than 450 radio stations. Kristen and Chris have been on opposite sides of the political spectrum for most of their 5-year marriage, and things are especially tense with COVID-19 and the recent election. "[83][87], On August 10, 2010, Nita Hanson, a Black woman married to a white man, called Schlessinger's show to ask for advice on how to deal with a husband who did not care when she was the subject of racist comments by acquaintances. In 2000, in the episode "The Midterms" on The West Wing, the fictional "Dr. Jenna Jacobs" is scolded by President Bartlet, who criticizes her views on homosexuality, and points out she is not a doctor in any field related to morality, ethics, medicine or theology. Schlessinger continued by telling the caller that she had a "chip on [her] shoulder," was "sensitive," and also, "Don't NAACP me," and, "a lot of what I hear from black think ... it's really distressing and disturbing. 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