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Is ‘Good Morning America’ Using Robin Roberts’ Illness as a Promotional Opportunity?

Sep 24, 2012  •  Post A Comment

ABC appears to be turning Robin Roberts’ illness into a promotional opportunity for "Good Morning America," according to a column in the Chicago Sun-Times by prominent television critic Tom Shales.

"On every edition of ‘GMA,’ there are shout-outs, warm wishes and detailed reports pertaining to Roberts’ condition. She has been seen in remotes from the hospital, and the sympathetic outpourings of viewers have been heavily documented," Shales writes.

"We all wish Robin Roberts well. And we hope she is not being charged with sick days, considering the fact that her illness has practically become another character in the show’s cast," he adds.

Since Roberts’ departure, the show’s ratings have been strong, notes The Hollywood Reporter. "”GMA’ has been Number One in the adults 25-54 demo since she began her medical leave on Aug. 31, and has been steadily gaining total viewers," the story points out.

A representative for ABC News said, "To be clear, we are keeping faith with our viewers, who are deeply interested in Robin’s journey. We are also mindful that Robin derives great strength from the overwhelming outpouring of love. That Tom wouldn’t understand is no surprise around here," reports TVNewser.com.

One Comment

  1. That was a cheap shot from Shales. Robin is an icon to those loyal viewers of Good Morning America. They have been with her through all of her illnesses. The morning shows are not a sitcom. There is a very strong emotional attachment that grows over time between viewers and the regular hosts. You can see that with the Today Show and their loss of Meredith Vieira and Ann Curry and the impact that has had on their audience. It is not surprising that the viewers want to be updated regularly on Robin and how her battle is going. It is also a very interesting news story, as this is still cutting edge medicine and people are interested.

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