Oprah Winfrey Show to End

Oprah Gail Winfrey, host of the very successful Oprah Winfrey Show, will soon put an end to the almost 25 year history she had with the show. The program aired since the early 1980s, has gone from strength to strength in ratings and popularity. A household name these days, Oprah Winfrey will not be renewing her contract to host the popular show, effectively ending it in September 2011, after enjoying almost 25 seasons of success.

The decision to end this popular show was not immediately clear, though Winfrey, arguably one of the most highly paid women in America, is going to be starting her own television network and might be devoting more time there. Though scheduled to start broadcasting in early 2009, several delays meant that the "Oprah Winfrey Network" [OWN] would only start broadcasting in the beginning of 2011. Incidentally, there are also rumors that Oprah will have a similar show on her 'own' network, but these have to be yet confirmed.

Thanks to the resounding success of her show, Oprah is a highly influential person in America. Placed at 45 on the Forbes Most Powerful People list, she is also one of the most easily recognized figures in America. The Oprah Winfrey Show is the top rated US talk show and is broadcast to more than 140 countries around the globe. Big names from the media industry, including the late Michael Jackson and actor Tom Cruise have been on her talk show, as have politicians and other celebrities.

The extent of her popularity and influence can be judged by the fact that CNN and Time Magazine called her 'arguably the world's most powerful woman'. Further adding to this was New York Times' Pulitzer winning columnist Maureen Dowd saying, "She is the top alpha female in this country. She has more credibility than the president."

Being one of the most recognized women in America, viewers will be more than curious to know the reasons behind Oprah quitting. CBS Television Distribution said, "We have the greatest respect for Oprah and wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors. We know that anything she turns her hand to will be a great success. We look forward to working with her for the next several years, and hopefully afterward as well." CBS Television Distribution is the network that syndicates the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Meanwhile, Oprah has promised that she will give her fans and viewers the reasons for her ending the show in the course of Friday's episode of her show. With 25 years of success under her belt, maybe it is time the media mogul moves on to something bigger.