Oprah Says Goodbye

Oprah Winfrey will announce during her "Fridays Live in Chicago" show, November 20, that her extremely popular and influential talk show will come to a close on September 9, 2011. The year 2011 will mark the program's 25th year, and Winfrey will be discussing the reasons behind her decision on this Friday's show.

According to Oprah.com, "‘The Oprah Winfrey Show' has remained the highest-rated talk show for 23 straight seasons, winning every sweep since its debut," and according to ABC News, "It is the top-rated U.S. daytime talk show, averaging 7.1 million viewers this year."

Winfrey is expected to host a show on OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture with Discovery Communications Inc., after "The Oprah Winfrey Show" ends. OWN will debut in 2011 in 70 million homes, and will be replacing the Discovery Health Channel.

CBS TV Distribution commented, "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."

In addition to her new network, Winfrey has also launched a magazine; a cable television channel, Oxygen; a book club; and a Sirius XM Radio station.

Sources: ABC News, L.A. Times, semissourian.com, Bloomberg