UPDATE:It is confirmed that Oprah will be ending her show in 2011. Read more about Oprah ending her show in 2011 on the Entertainment Newswire.
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Oprah Winfrey is expected to soon announce that she will be moving her show exclusively to her OWN cable network in 2011. A joint deal between Oprah and the Discovery Channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network is poised to launch in 70 million homes that same year. Her popular show will likely move to OWN on the heels of the network launch, as reported by The New York Daily News.
Oprah will be giving up the lucrative licensing and distribution deals her show now has with stations that syndicate her show internationally. In addition, Winfrey will move her staff and studios from her home base of Chicago to the future LA offices of OWN -- which will likely lead to layoffs. This business decision has already cost the Discovery Channel millions of dollars as the cable giant has been forced to shuffle staff and resources in anticipation of the change. Both sides in this deal are gambling that these sacrifices will be worth it in the end. But what about Ms. Winfrey's relationship with the public? Nikki Finke of the Deadline Hollywood blog writes:
But there's also no question that Oprah is a much more controversial figure now than she's ever been before because of her wealth and fame and politics. "She's lost her authenticity. Like when she said, 'It's good to have your own private jet.' Or when she shut down the City of Chicago with this season's 'flash mob' for the opening show. Where's the relatability?" The word internally at ABC is that TV stations have been cringing at Oprah's past and present and continuing support for Barack Obama, from her appearance at his inauguration (see photo) to her visits to the White House, because it antagonizes half the viewing public who don't share her politics. Now Oprah will no longer be in their faces: instead she'll be isolated on cable. The biggest question now in the TV industry is whether it's "Good Luck!" or "Good Riddance!"
On the business side, some question whether it is really a good move for Oprah to take her show, which is now seen in 140 countries, to a relatively minor cable channel. But this actually seems like a desirable next step for Oprah, who is already a media queen. She is now extending her queendom to include a more concrete stake of the market. As a personality, she has tremendous mindshare. With her OWN cable network, she will make her personal identity into a tangible company. And if the general public is growing disenchanted with her, the time is definitely right for her to rely less on her personal magnetism and more on her business acumen.
Comments: (14)
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By: wayne on 11/05/2009 6:25PM
She has all to gain and nothing to lose.She also will be a big time player in hollywood in the next 2 years,this lady is GOD SENT.
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By: SUSZANNE on 11/06/2009 11:55PM
Oprah don't care if people are cringing because she supports the POTUS, she is already rich and owns everything with her name on it. You Go Oprah and make this network a household name and watch how many others follow. She is the pied piper of television. Oprah is her "OWN" woman and has knocked the television world on it's ear because she don't fit the mold set by white America.
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By: Bill Schrier on 11/08/2009 9:03PM
Like the (ineligible) POTUS, Oprah is an egotist. Her ratings have tanked to half the audience she formerly had, and still shrinking. These are the people (mostly older white women) who are now just figuring out what an egotist and leftist Oprah really is. Yes, she has built up large wealth during her salad years, but that will go quickly once her income shrivels, because, just like Michael Jackson, she spends huge amounts of money on her narcissistic lifestyle. Good riddance to Oprah. Too bad so many were duped by her for so long.
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By: JElmore on 11/09/2009 2:41PM
I beg to differ. I believe Oprah is far from an egotistical. What narcisstic lifestyle are you speaking of? You fail to point out all the charity she has given to people. She's a very positive lady and I wish her all the best. As far as your comments about our wonderful President of the United States, I think you are ignorant because why you are fuming and claiming he is inelgible he is still sitting in the oval office. You don't have to like him but you must accept he is your leader. By the way what is your standard for elgibility? Judging from your response to this article, you probably are too ignorant to even know the definition of elgibility.
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By: berryfast on 11/09/2009 10:19AM
Happy Dayys...glad to see her gone!!!!!
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By: Proud Black Sister on 11/09/2009 10:21AM
I don't really care for her show, but I am proud of her success. Bill Crier, you are just a white hater. Don't hate because she is black and successful, ripped the ratings back in her early days. Has bank up to the ying yang. She is not an egoist, just a positive, proud, black woman. What she has, no one can take away from her. You PEOPLE need to quit. We are going no where but up, so quit trying to put US down....
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By: Dee on 11/09/2009 12:07PM
WHO CARES!
If Oprah were to leave ABC for her own network I think she would be doing alot of us a favor and yes she will always have her loyal followers.
For all the "new" black folks who now have their own show this is a way for her to turn it up another notch and separate herself from the pack!
I can do something you can't do. LOL!
Oprah has $$$ in front of her name and that's all that really matters to her. She has the media in her pocket and this has become a game to her.
I really don't believe Oprah gives a rats ass about anyone but "self", and yes I know she has given things away on her show, she opened a school in South Africa all of that is a right off for her. She's created Dr. Phil ,Rachel Ray, Nate Berkus and Dr, Oz all have benefitted from her and it's been a big pay day for her. This has all become a quest for Oprah what can I do next that nobody else has done, I've closed down streets for my show what else can I do.
Oprah had an interview with Michael Jackson a few years ago and just like she stated when she did the interview "it was all about getting the interview" and she never looked back on Michael until he died and she had nothing new to offer so she ran the old interview once again just for bragging rights I had one of the very few interviews that Michael gave.
Oprah's been on Barbara Walters heels since she's started... be the first to nail the interview the only difference between Barbara and Oprah's interview is, it means something to Barbara to Oprah it's just another notch on her belt.
Oprah wants you to believe that she's a very fear minded person but she's not. She has done everything within her power to destroy Chris Brown's career for life after what he did to Rihanna and yes Chris Brown was wrong like to left shoes and he deserved to be punished but not for life.
She is "BFF" with BeBe Winans the "GOSPEL" singer and yes, I love me some BeBe and yes I will still buy his music but, he beat the crap out of his wife in fact he still has court days fscing him on this matter and yet Oprah has had him on her show to promote the part he played in her over"BFF" Tyler Perry's movie and "NEVER" not once did she mention his ordeal with his wife. BeBe is in his fifties Chris Brown just turned twenty he deserves the same break that she has given BeBe Winan.
Oprah knows her words hold power and what she did to Chris Brown was wrong.
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By: LoveaNurs2 on 11/09/2009 12:08PM
POOF...BE GONE!!! Its about time!!! She is a has been, and she is "thinking" SHE is getting ahead of the network, by "canning them" before they can her! She is "feeding" (no pun intended) that ego, by just buying my own network, "cause I can...i don't wanna play with you no more" attitude....GOOD RIDDANCE!
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By: churnet Winborne on 11/09/2009 6:22PM
I think Oprah is wonderful and good luck to her stop you haters
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By: Gwenola on 11/09/2009 2:17PM
I don't watch her that much, but I keep up with what she says. I am not going to hate on her, she could be a Glenn Beck, with no education and just saying stupid stuff.
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