An e-mailer points out that Mary Duffy, "one of the queens of daytime trash TV," is the Executive in Charge of Production for The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.

"Many credit her with helping to create the confrontational style of trash TV while EP'ing the Sally Jesse Raphael show -- and later shows like Montel Williams," the tipster says. "So, if Duffy is indeed behind that show, this news should come as a surprise to no one -- except, I guess, Bernie Goldberg."

> Update: 11:40pm: "Mary Duffy was never EP at Sally but was a producer and then senior producer and EP at Montel and some other failed talk shows," another e-mailer adds. "She is knowledgeable of trash talk but the real culprit is Susan Krakower, CNBC's VP of primetime. She was at Studios USA when it owned Sally...She then moved over to Maury..."

Was this week's controversial segment with Goldberg part of a larger effort to liven up and create buzz for the low-rated CNBC show? (Last week: Deutsch leaves Osama's niece in tears.) Other Goldberg/Deutsch notes:

> Goldberg on Rush: "If there were 15 people on the whole planet watching the show, I think I would be surprised." Then why did he appear on it?

> "You neglect to mention that Deutsch's production team significantly edited the Goldberg show...and not in favor of Goldberg," an e-mailer claims...