THE kinder, softer Dr. Laura Schlessinger on TV is about to become more like the scolding, sharp-tongued – and more popular – Dr. Laura on her radio show.
Hoping to boost ratings, the low-rated syndicated show’s producers have decided to let the embattled Schlessinger be Schlessinger: nagging and “shame on you” finger waving.
Last month, “Dr. Laura” was put on a curious week-long hiatus to receive a “makeover” just two weeks after it debuted.
The newly reformatted show will include a “Moral Dilemma Hotline,” for “viewers to schedule an appointment for when the ‘Dr. Laura’ television crew will be in their area,” according to a prepared statement.
The show will also feature a forum in which viewers who oppose Schlessinger’s moral/ethical views “are given an opportunity to pursue her otherwise.” When her TV show debuted in September, critics blasted the celebrity shrink for not tackling controversial issues or acting aggressively toward guests whose opinions she didn’t agree with. The show has been labeled bland and traditional and hasn’t included much of tough-talking Schlessinger’s trade mark nagging.
“Dr. Laura” has been dogged by low ratings and bitter protests from gay activists who have picketed producers at Paramount and sponsored a media campaign to get the show yanked. Their anger stems from comments made by Schlessinger on the radio where she has referred to gays and lesbians as “biological errors.”
Schlessinger has offered luke-warm apologies twice. The latest appeared last week on the back cover of Variety newspaper in the form of a full page letter asking for forgiveness for Yom Kippur.
Gay activists slammed the apology, saying her words were “poorly chosen” and represented “another blow to her waning credibility.” The controversy has cost “Dr. Laura” a slew of sponsors, including Procter & Gamble.
The show is seen in about 69,000 homes in the New York area daily, according to ratings estimates. “General Hospital,” the long-running which airs in the same time slot on Ch. 7, is seen every day in about 310,000 homes in the New York metro area.