'Dr. Oz Show' Ratings Aren't Doing So Hot

Dr. Mehmet Oz's political career has taken off since he announced he'd be running for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. However, his TV career is taking a hit. According to The Wrap, ratings have been down by pretty wide margins ever since he announced that he would be running for office in late November. The Dr. Oz Show will officially wrap in mid-January due to his senate run. 

The Wrap reported that for the week ending on Dec. 12, The Dr. Oz Show earned a 0.5 rating. This figure was down 17% from the prior week. The publication noted that this was a significant drop in comparison to the figures that the show posted a year ago at around the same time. More specifically, the show was down 29% in comparison to the ratings that it garnered in 2020. This also means that the show experienced the most significant ratings decline of any talk show in the top 12. 

Oz announced that he was seeking to become the next Senator of Pennsylvania on Nov. 30 and that he would be running as a Republican. The TV personality will be seeking to take over the seat left vacant by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who will retire after his current term. He shared the announcement in The Washington Examiner and explained that he decided to run for office after taking issue with some of the decisions made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oz wrote that his prior medical training has "positioned me to make difficult decisions to help people in need and fight to empower my viewers." While Oz expressed that he would be running for office in order to "empower" constituents, he did not mention Pennsylvania anywhere in his essay for the outlet. The TV host has no prior political experience aside from serving as a member of President Donald Trump's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. 

In light of his bid for office, it was reported that The Dr. Oz Show would be coming to an end. The last episode will air on Jan. 14. The reason behind the decision largely ties back to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its equal time doctrine, which provides for balanced air time opportunities for all candidates who request it. Since Oz would have been featured on his own television show amid his run for Senate, the other individuals in the race (there are currently seven other Republican candidates) would be entitled to their own coverage. Of course, the issue will now be avoided with The Dr. Oz Show going off of the air.