LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Oprah Winfrey: September
built 313 days ago
Oprah Winfrey premiered her exclusive XM channel Oprah & Friends (XM Channel 156) on September 25. The debut generated enormous media attention nationwide, including extensive coverage on Winfrey's top-rated TV program. Oprah & Friends recently added a new show, "Talk to Me with Oprah Winfrey," a weekly call-in program hosted by Oprah, providing fans a direct way to call Oprah to share stories and ask questions. In terms of advertising, Oprah & Friends was the most successful channel launch in XM's history, attracting 13 first-time XM advertisers, including leading brands such as Acuvue, Dove, GE, JC Penney, Jenny Craig, Kleenex, SlimFast, and Target.
Source:
History: The Oprah Winfrey Show entered its 17th season in national syndication on September 16, 2002. It has been the number one talk show for 16 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986. 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' has received 35 Emmy Awards, including nine Emmys for outstanding talk show and seven Emmys for outstanding talk show host.
Source:
On February 9, 2006 it was announced that Winfrey signed a $55 million, three-year contract with XM Satellite Radio to establish a new radio channel. The channel, Oprah & Friends, features popular contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O, The Oprah Magazine including Nate Berkus, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Bob Greene, Dr. Robin Smith and Marianne Williamson. Oprah & Friends began broadcasting at 11:00 AM ET, September 25, 2006, from a new studio at Winfrey's Chicago headquarters. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on XM Radio Channel 156. Winfrey's contract requires her to be on the air 30 minutes a week, 39 weeks a year. The 30-minute weekly show will feature Winfrey with friend Gayle King.
Source:
After WTVF–TV, Winfrey then relocated to Baltimore, MD’s WJZ–TV to co–anchor the evening news. Smart, charming and personable, Winfrey was a natural onscreen, but even she had a rocky start to her career. After being taken off the air in Baltimore – the reason cited, being that she could not anchor the news because she might get emotional on air – she made the jump to big market Chicago, IL in 1984, hosting the half–hour morning show “A.M. Chicago.†Within a year, it had been expanded to a one–hour format and was renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show.†It would prove to be the beginning of Winfrey’s media domination as well. In September 1986, “The Oprah Winfrey Show†was distributed in national syndication and became the highest–rated talk show in TV history. It remained the number one talk show for 20 consecutive seasons (according to a 1999 Nielsen Cassandra Ranking Report).
Source:
Winfrey seemed to have a magic touch that could turn humdrum programs into interesting shows with solid ratings. In January 1984 she became anchor of the ailing A.M. Chicago, a morning talk show that consistently placed last in the ratings. Winfrey did a complete overhaul of the show, changing its focus to current and controversial topics. The effect was immediate: one month later the show was ranked even with Donahue's program. Three months later it had inched ahead. In September 1985 it was renamed the Oprah Winfrey Show and was expanded to one hour.
Source:
Winfrey moved to Chicago in January 1984 and took over as anchor on A.M. Chicago, a morning talk show which was consistently last in the ratings. She changed the emphasis of the show from traditional women's issues to current and controversial topics, and after one month the show was even with Donahue's program. Three months later it had inched ahead. In September 1985 the program, renamed the Oprah Winfrey Show, was expanded to one hour. Consequently, Donahue moved to New York.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
September