Say good night Oprah. One of the most influential talk shows in television history is reportedly coming to an end. Oprah Winfrey is expected to announce on Friday (Nov. 20) that her popular daytime show will move to her own cable channel in 2011.
While the date is hardly around the corner, and situations can change, Oprah will be going out on the top of her game. The host and actress will spell out the reasons for ending the show on Friday’s program, which will be broadcast live from Chicago, where it all started 25 years ago.
But it won’t be the last of Oprah, 55. She is expected to move to cable network OWN, also known as the Oprah Winfrey Network at around the same time.
The cable channel is a joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. The expiration fo her current syndication deal for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” will make the move possible. OWN will be available in more than 70 million homes.
For Oprah, the move is the ultimate fruition of a career in which she dominated daytime television. She is the top-rated U.S. daytime talk show, averaging 7.1 million viewers this year.
Winfrey is considered a major opinion-maker in the United States and this year was No. 45 on Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s most powerful people. She may lose some of that steam, moving exclusively to cable. But her influence will still be beyond question.
Winfrey used the show to launch her magazine, a book club that turned authors into best-sellers, and a cable TV channel, Oxygen, geared to female and lifestyle topics.
She went overboard in her support of Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign and in recent years her endorsement has meant almost instant success for whomever she supports. She has also helped launch the careers of Rachael Ray, Dr. Phil and more recently Dr. Oz.
Actor Tom Cruise, the late Michael Jackson and singer Whitney Houston are among the countless stars who have made pilgrimages to her couch to seek atonement or bask in the recognition her imprimatur provides.
“We have the greatest respect for Oprah and wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors, said CBS, which syndicates the show, in a statement.
“We know that anything she turns her hand to will be a great success. We look forward to working with her for the next several years, and hopefully afterward as well,” the statement said.
