Dr. Phil Offers Dr. Oz TV Comeback Deal With Show on His New Network Months After Failed Senate Run: Report
TV Dr. Phil McGraw is reportedly extending a critical career lifeline to Dr. Mehmet Oz by inviting him to become a cornerstone anchor on his new 24-hour network, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Emmy-award winning TV host Oz, 63, attempted to transition his daytime program popularity to politics in 2022, when he unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate against John Fetterman to represent the state of Pennsylvania.
According to reporting from the National Enquirer, sources claim Dr. Phil is on a mission to revive the failed Republican’s TV career.
“Since his failed attempt to run for the Senate, Dr. Oz’s career has never bounced back,” an insider told the outlet. “He has taken lots of meetings but received no firm offers — which is why Dr. Phil is a savior.”
The insider continued, “He thinks Oz will be a great fit” at the new network — and the former senate candidate is said to be “eternally grateful to Phil and won’t let him down.”
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Oz’s reps for comment.
Sources exclusively told RadarOnline.com back in November 2022 that “no one in the mainstream will touch him” after his disastrous senate campaign.
An insider told us, “When things were looking grim early on in the senate race, Oz’s camp quietly sounded out some television executives about what a career might look like if he were to lose. They were told, ‘Fuhgeddaboudit!’”
“You can’t alienate half of your audience with a political stance and expect to bring in an audience on your return to television,” the source noted.
Oz may have found an outlet that appeals to his now-divided fanbase in Phil’s new media venture.
Christian-based network Trinity Broadcasting recently announced they were teaming up with Dr. Phil as a distribution partner for his new cable TV network, Merit Street Media, according to Deadline. Merit Street Media’s launch date is current set for February 26, 2024.
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Merit Street Media will be available to over 65 million households through DirecTV and Dish, with plans to expand to on-demand TV, podcasts and social media.
The longtime daytime TV host’s network will be anchored by his own nightly show, Dr. Phil Primetime. According to Merit Street Media, the network will feature four hours of original content, including a live news broadcast.
While details on other original programs have yet to be announced, viewers can expect to see a variety of content from family programming to true crime — and familiar faces from other TV programs.
