"Oprah Winfrey Show" May Leave ABC, Broadcast Syndication In 2011

Update: Harpo states that Oprah has yet to decide whether she will end her show after the 2011 season:

In a statement issued this afternoon, however, Harpo responded: "While David Zaslav's comments are true that Oprah's current contract to produce The Oprah Winfrey Show will expire in 2011, she has not made a final decision as to whether she will continue her show in syndication beyond that," says Lisa Halliday, chief spokesperson for Harpo Productions, Inc.

In fact, a clause existed in her current contract that would have let the talk-show queen end the show in 2010, but she recently chose to extend the show's run through the contract's full term.

Original Post: Oprah Winfrey will take her blockbuster talk show out of broadcast syndication and move it to her own cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network, by 2011, it was revealed in the Discovery Channel's earnings call Friday morning.

Broadcasting & Cable's Paige Albiniak reports that Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced the impending switch Friday morning, which is news inasmuch as Winfrey had previously announced she would be ending the show when its syndication deal ran out:

"The current expectation is that after fall 2011 her show will go off of ... syndication, and she will come to OWN," the cable network that Winfrey's production company, Harpo, is creating in conjunction with Discovery.

"We are talking right now about what that presence would be and what programming she would be involved in directly, but this is her chapter two, and building the OWN brand online and on-air is something and she and I are working on together. It is a core mission for her," Zaslav said.

Winfrey's distribution deal, which she re-signed with King World's late Roger King in August 2004, expires in fall 2011. That marks the end of Oprah's 25th season.

At that year's gathering of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) in Las Vegas, Winfrey told a gathering "I really do think that's going to be it."

If Winfrey were any other TV talent, the news that she would be departing daytime when her contract expired would be a non-issue, but Winfrey has previously said she was ending the show.

In January, Oprah and the Discovery Channel announced that they were teaming up to launch the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2009 OWN will replace Discovery Health, which will place it in 70 million homes nationwide.

Comments

[ttowse]

Not soon enough. She should have given it up in 2004.

O is so over. Over rated. Over marketed. Over hyped.

Oprah, cut the hair, it is aging you girl. Get a pair of shoes you can actually walk in, not just props. You are not even real to yourself any more, and it shows. You had a wonderful career . Be thankful and give us all a break from you, please.

[Bitsko]

Wake me when this becomes relevant to everyday people.

[harriettubman]

It IS relevant. When we go thru the grind of daily reality shows and ridiculous movies at the box office due to Hollywood running out of creative ideas, a talk show like Oprah's is quite a change.

[NevaforLeadership]

It would be sad to see Oprah's show go off the air.

For many years she has dedicated her show to improving people's lives and uplifting people's spirits.

But I wish her the very best, whatever she decides to do. She came from a very humble background and worked her way to the top with integrity, decency and class. She more than deserves all the rewards she is now able to reap.

I would like to see Oprah receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She has done more than anyone else in America to melt away the differences between "races"; she has given to millions; and the work she has done in Africa is beyond impressive.

I e-mailed Oprah recently to thank her for Barack Obama, not because she campaigned for him on her show -- she was very careful not to do that -- because she opened the way for his acceptance by all "races."

Neva
Middle-aged White Woman

[toocoldout]

She promoted him on her show before he decided to run, even encouraging him to run & putting his book on the best-seller list, but once he made the decision to run, she only campaigned for him off her show. And of course she campaigned for him in places like Iowa & South Carolina, delivering over one million votes in the razor close primary according to a major study. She really believed in him, long before the rest of the black community would give him the time of day.

[johnnygoodwud]

the oprah brand in the long run is in decline. i would bet shes bored. she obviously doesn't do it for the cash. i still say politics are in the future for her. she'd be great, time to give something back, wouldn't and couldn't be influenced for cash, because she doesn't need cash. obama might appoint her to some project, say getting kids to read, something like that.

[toocoldout]

She's already given plenty back. She's given hundreds of millions over the years in taxes; given hundreds of millions to charity, got Obama elected; got millions to read; the tabloid talk show craze she popularized in the 1980s did more to make gays mainstream than any other development of the 20th century according to a Yale study. If she ever retires from TV she's probably just be a full-time mom to the daughters at her school in Africa.

[NevaforLeadership]

Johnnygoodwud,

"Time to give something back"? You have to be joking?!! Obviously you know very little about Oprah.

I hope you take the time to find out about her giving. Without doubt, she would be amongst the top individual charitable givers in the United States.

I hope we will see Oprah Winfrey receive the Nobel Peace Prize one day for all the incredible work she has done in the United States and around the world.

[GayGrandpa]

I appreciate that she had a huge part of electing our President elect! Thank you dear! But sadly I am a big Ellen fan and they are both on at the same time...whacha gonna do? Sorry Oprah you shouldn't go up against Ellen, we all lose.

[toocoldout]

I love them both but when they're on at the same time I watch Oprah.

[mrskorn]

who cares.

[toocoldout]

The 100+ people who posted, including you.

[ScoobyDoo269]

No it should be

WHO F'in CARES

[NevaforLeadership]

You should care, because Oprah Winfrey has done so much good for so many people all over the world.

[plzchuteme]

I would appear to be in the minority here, but Oprah Winfrey makes me regret being born with eyes and ears. Her popularity? I don't get it. I've never gotten it, and I don't expect I ever will. Her show is unwatchable.

[NevaforLeadership]

You don't get it?

Perhaps if you took a little time to find about the whole Oprah, her charitable giving, and the underlying themes to all her shows, you would get it.

[biabouman41]

Since ABC tried to sabbotage Obama's candidacy, I find it hard to tune them in anyway. And if Oprah leaves there will not be any reason to watch.

[AnalyzeIT]

Palin Blamed by the US Secret Service for Death Threats Against Barack Obama:


Very interesting article; A MUST READ

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/sarahpalin/3405336/Sarah-Palin-blamed-by-the-US-Secret-Service-for-death-threats-against-Barack-Obama.html

In addition Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh should be also included.

[johnnygoodwud]

out of show bus. in 2011, enter politics in 2012. how's 'O' @ 'O' in 2012 sound?

[GayGrandpa]

As what? governor in California, Senator in Illinois? What?

[dem2mysoul]

In the scheme of things who cares?

[InofTouch]

CBS dose her show syndication, not ABC

[DosaHut]

I used to like Oprah, but she's overstayed her talk-show welcome.

We have a new O now!

[toocoldout]

Thanks largely to her we have a new O. Now after she got your hero over a million votes in the razor close primary you want to throw her under the bus now that you no longer need her. Great message to send to future supporters. And as long as she still has the highest rated talk show in syndication, she hasn't overstayed her welcome because millions are still enjoying her show.

[TommyJohn]

She has promised this before.

[stella801]

I have a lot of respect for Oprah. I don't watch her show much, but I think all the negative feelings toward her stem from jealousy.

[toocoldout]

Combination of jealousy & resentment that an overweight black woman who entertains soccer moms is one of the richest & most influential people on the planet & has remained so for so long. Her spectacular success disrupts the natural order of things among fat-phobics, racists, sexists, & elitists who look down at mass-market entertainers, especially those who appeal to soccer moms.

[junebuginFL]

What resentment? Oprah is respected, and I dont think she has many enemies...those fat phobics, sexist, elitist people would be? Sounds like too cold is one of them...I respect her, nothing has changed my opinion of her...same ol Oprah to me.