Oprah Talk Show to End, Network to Launch in 2011

CHICAGO: After 25 years on the air, Oprah Winfrey will be ending her daily talk show on September 9, 2011.

The announcement did not come as a surprise, as it is known that Winfrey will be devoting time and energy to OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture with Discovery Communications that will be launching in January of 2011.

“Oprah has been nourishing people through her television show for nearly 25 years, a legacy that has touched millions the world over,” said Christina Norman, the CEO of OWN. “She is the life force behind OWN and will be guiding the effort for this completely new 24-hour television experience premiering in January 2011.”

OWN will be a multiplatform media company, whose mission is to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN will debut in approximately 80 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. The venture also will include the digital platform Oprah.com.

Nevertheless, the exit of The Oprah Winfrey Show will be a considerable set back to the local stations that air the hugely popular talk show, whose high ratings have made it a key lead-in show to local news shows, while delivering substantial advertising revenues.