WHEN Oprah Winfrey told her studio audience last week that she would end her daily show in 2011, after 25 years as the undisputed queen of daytime talk television, she wasn't the only one to get teary-eyed.
Network executives have lumps in their throats. The authors she lifted from obscurity to the bestseller lists will certainly miss her influence. Then there are her 7 million viewers.
Ms. Winfrey gave voice to the aspirations of millions of women, from housewives to businesswomen forging their own brands in whatever professions they find themselves. Her popular show, in a sea of aggressive and crass competitors, was more of a conversation rooted in civility, hope, and determination to make change for the better.
Along the way she became a role model to both genders and, arguably, the most transformative media figure of the last quarter-century. Ms. Winfrey's sensitivity to what makes great television, combined with her business acumen, has made her a billionaire.
Oprah, like Bill Cosby and fellow Chicagoan Michael Jordan, made Middle America comfortable with minorities by transcending the difficult history of race in this country. Born into poverty, she ascended the highest ladders of media and celebrity by sheer grit, talent, and intelligence. No one "made" Oprah Winfrey except her grateful and adoring audiences.
Now she's moving to cable to oversee the operation of the soon-to-be-launched Oprah Winfrey Network. While she is not expected to replicate her talk show there, she will no doubt resurface along with new programs made in her image.Though her ratings have slipped in recent years, Oprah Winfrey continues to preside over the most successful talk show on television. Her adoring fans have 18 months to ride it out with her.
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