CHICAGO — “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” an iconic broadcast that grew from a local Chicago talk show into the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air, Winfrey’s production company said Thursday night.
Winfrey, who became one of the most powerful women in entertainment from a seat on the couch of her set in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, plans to announce the final date for her show during a live broadcast today, Harpo Productions Inc. said.
A Harpo spokeswoman declined to comment Thursday on Winfrey’s future plans except to say that “The Oprah Winfrey Show” will not be transferred to cable television.
Winfrey, 55, is widely expected to start up a new talk show on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a much delayed joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc. that is expected to debut in 2011. OWN is to replace the Discovery Health Channel and will debut in an estimated 70 million homes.
CBS Television Distribution, which distributes “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to more than 200 markets blanketing the United States, held out hope that it could continue doing business with Winfrey, perhaps producing a new show out of its studios in Los Angeles.
“We have the greatest respect for Oprah and wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors,” the unit of CBS Corp. said.
Winfrey started her broadcasting career as a teenager in Nashville, Tenn., reading the news at WVOL. Earlier this year, Forbes reported Winfrey’s net worth at $2.7 billion.
