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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Media The End of an Oprah?

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 3:40 PM

Really?

Oprah Winfrey is expected to announce September 9th, 2011 as the final air date for her long-time running talk show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show." It's unclear what reasons are prompting Oprah to end production of her show, or if the show will move to the newly-formed Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011. [...]

In a message to syndicate stations airing "Oprah," Harpo Incorporated President Tim Bennett thanked stations for their long-time support. "Tomorrow, Oprah will announce live on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' that she has decided to end what is arguably one of the most popular, influential and enduring programs in television history," Bennett wrote Thursday in his note to affiliated stations.

I don't believe Oprah Winfrey can exist solely on the cover of her namesake magazine and cable. She lives for network. She is network television.

Comments (9) RSS

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What's the point of being a billionaire if you have to keep working?

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 19, 2009 at 3:43 PM

Lou Dobbs and Oprah sat down decided it together. This is the only way they can both be truly themselves, and truly happy. At long last.

Posted by elenchos on November 19, 2009 at 3:54 PM

Just the thought of her makes me want to barf.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty

on November 19, 2009 at 4:02 PM

After watching that Palin snoozefest, I think Oprah's more interested in softball.

Posted by Explorer on November 19, 2009 at 4:06 PM

That's why she's starting her own network. Who needs piddly little syndicate stations?

Posted by laterite on November 19, 2009 at 4:29 PM

"What's the point of being a billionaire if you have to keep working?"

I agree, the woman has more money that she could possibly know what to do with, has built a staggering media empire and being contractually obligated to have a daily talk show seems like it would become burdensome after a time.

Even without her daily talk show she will still wield a huge amount of public influence and she is about to launch her own network where she can have as much or little national exposure as she wants at the drop of a hat, I don't blame her for wanting to live her life without the contractual responsibilities and constraints of national syndication.

Posted by John M on November 19, 2009 at 4:31 PM

I predict that millions of avid Oprah watchers will simultaneously experience an emotional breakdown when, deprived of their daily catnip, realize that they lead meaningless vapid lives of preprogrammed servitude to a homogenized and commodified notion of female identity.

Posted by Super Jesse on November 19, 2009 at 4:53 PM