(AP Photo/Harpo Productions)
Oprah Winfrey pulls a Howard Stern (video)
Oprah Winfrey blew the top off the entertainment news industry on Friday when she announced on a live episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show that she would end the groundbreaking talk show's 25 year run in 2011. Many commentators have compared Oprah Winfrey's decision to end her talk show and move to her own cable network to Howard Stern's 2004 announcement that he was leaving commercial terrestrial radio to start his own channels at Sirius satellite radio, now Sirius XM.
Both Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey were obviously attracted by the massive financial gains that accompanied their decisions to go solo. Howard Stern signed a $500 million 5 year contract with Sirius and Oprah will make untold gazillions from her new cable venture. Unlike Howard Stern, though, Oprah Winfrey never had to face the level of censorship and villification that howard Stern did on terrestrial radio. Howard Stern paired his 9 figure salary with a dash of integrity.
Some critiques have also warned that Oprah Winfrey's move to cable could mean a dip in her fan base. Alan Sepinwall of the New Jersey Star-Ledger wrote on Friday: "Stern makes more money than he ever did on terrestrial radio, but his cultural footprint has greatly diminished, as he’s mainly listened to only by people who care enough about him to buy a satellite radio subscription."
Oprah Winfrey has had her own channel on Sirius XM radio since the two satellite companies merged in 2008. Howard Stern has been a vocal critique of Oprah Winfrey's lack of involvement in her satellite radio channel.
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Watch Oprah Winfrey's emotional announcement on Friday's Oprah Winfrey Show:
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Comments
Lots of people will miss Oprah!
Third culture kids examiner
Seattle stay-at-home moms examiner
Congrats! What a ride!
John Zarlino
Your Car Guy
jdzarlinoyourcarguy@yahoo.com
614-759-3390
A gazillion is an awful lot.
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