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Oprah Winfrey: People
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Oprah Winfrey is the queen of daytime television and her guests range from million dollar celebrities to everyday people triumphing over the greatest odds. You never know who'll be on, but you're sure to be talking about them the next day.
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From her humble beginnings in rural Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey has established herself as one of the most important figures in popular culture. Her contributions can be felt beyond the world of television and into areas such as publishing, music, film, philanthropy, education, health and fitness as well as social awareness. As supervising producer and host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah entertains, enlightens, and empowers millions of viewers around the world. In 1998, she was named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th Century by Time magazine.
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The name and the face of Oprah Winfrey are instantly recognizable to just about every person in the United States. To millions of people around the world, Oprah is the embodiment of American spirit and entrepreneurial success; hers is a rags-to-riches story come to life. While there is a near continual barrage of information in the media about this larger-than-life woman, this biography takes readers past all the hype and hyperbole and presents a candid, balanced portrait of the flesh-and-blood woman herself. This well- researched personal profile presents a realistic yet intimate portrait of Oprah that neither canonizes nor demonizes her. The dramatic events in her life, both the struggles and the successes, are detailed with factual accounts that guide readers through the complex, and sometimes controversial, course of Oprah's life from her childhood in Mississippi, to her current position of extraordinary success. This penetrating book chronicles for readers the significant people and events that have had the greatest impact on Oprah personally and professionally.
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In 1992 Winfrey began a series of prime-time specials called Oprah: Behind the Scenes, about Winfrey's interviews of famous people. In a separately produced show, syndicated to more than 50 countries by King World, Winfrey interviewed the singer Michael Jackson for prime time; the interview aired February 10, 1993, and 39 percent of American homes tuned in to the show. Winfrey typically hired friends for jobs at Harpo Productions, people whose characters she knew and whom she trusted. This may be why by 2000 her top 10 executives each had logged over 10 years' employment at Harpo Productions. One such friend was Tim Bennett, who had been program director for Chicago's WLS-TV when Oprah first worked there. Bennett became chief operations officer for Harpo Productions, and he organized the company into departments and clarified the company's capital structure.
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Open and generous, Oprah Winfrey enjoys a wide circle of friends and acquaintances and she thrives on sociability and fellowship. She is adventurous, playful, freedom loving, and always ready for a good time. Winfrey rarely allows obstacles or difficulties to keep her down, for no matter how bleak the past or present, Oprah always expects a better, brighter future. In fact, she is uncomfortable with her own or other people's problems and emotional pain. Oprah Winfrey often tries to "cheer up" or offer philosophical advice to those who are hurting, but she unwittingly avoids or ignores the emotions involved.
In 1998, Winfrey began Oprah's Angel Network, a charity aimed at encouraging people around the world to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged others. Accordingly, Oprah's Angel Network supports charitable projects and provides grants to nonprofit organizations around the world that share this vision. To date, Oprah's Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000 ($1 million of which was donated by Jon Bon Jovi). Winfrey personally covers all administrative costs associated with the charity, so 100% of all funds raised go to charity programs.[83]
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