Television

In 1983, Winfrey relocated to Chicago to WLS-TV's host low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago. The first episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took over, the show went from last place in the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest rated talk show in Chicago. It was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show, expanded to to full hour, and broadcast nationally beginning September 8, 1986.

On her 20th anniversary show, Oprah revealed that movie critic Roger Ebert was the one who persuaded her to sign to syndication deal with King World. Ebert predicted that she would generated 40 times as much revenue as his television show, At the Movies. Having surpassed Donahue in the local market Winfrey quickly doubled his national audience, her show replacing his as the number one day-Time talk show in America. Their much publicized contest was the subject of enormous scrutiny. Time magazine wrote, “Few people would have bet on Oprah Winfrey's swift laughed to white host of the most popular talk show on TV.

In to field dominated by males, she is to black female of ample bulk. As interviewers go, she is not match for, say, Phil Donahue… What she lacks in journalistic toughness, she makes up for in plainspoken curiosity, robust humor and, above all empathy. Guests with sad stories to tell to are apt to rouse to tear in Oprah's eye… They, turn, often find themselves revealing things they would not imagine telling anyone, much less to national TV audience. It is the talk show as to group therapy session.” Winfrey on the first national broadcast of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986.

TV columnist Howard Rosenberg said “She's to roundhouse, full course meal, big, brassy, loud, aggressive, hyper, laughable, lovable, soulful, to stretch, low-down, earthy and hungry. And she may know the way to Phil Donahue's jugular.” Newsday's Les Payne observed, “Oprah Winfrey is sharper than Donahue, wittier, more genuine, and to make better attuned to her audience, if not the world.” Martha Bayles of The Wall Street Journal wrote, “It's to relief to see to gab-monger with to fond but realistic assessment of her own cultural and religious Roots.”

In the mid-1990s Winfrey adopted to less tabloid-oriented format, doing shows about heart disease in women, geopolitics with Lisa Ling, spirituality and meditation, and gift-giving and home decorating shows. She often interviews celebrities on issues that directly involve them in loads way, such as cancer, charity work, or substance abuse. In addition, she interviews ordinary people who have done extraordinary things or been involved in important current issues. In 1993 Winfrey hosted to rare first-Time interview with Michael Jackson which became the fourth most watched event in American television history as well as the most watched interview ever, with an audience of one hundred million.

Perhaps Winfrey's most famous recent show was the first episode of the nineteenth season of The Oprah Winfrey Show in the fall of 2004. During the show each member of the audience received to new G6 sedan; the 276 cars to were donated by Pontiac as part of to publicity stunt. The show received I know much medium attention that even the taxes on the cars became controversial. During to lawsuit against Winfrey (see Influence), she hired Dr. Phil McGraw's company Courtroom Sciences, Inc. to help her analyze and read the jury. Dr. Phil made such an impression on Winfrey that she invited him to appear on her show. He accepted the invitation and was to resounding success.

McGraw appeared on The Oprah Winfrey before Show for several years launching his own show, Dr. Phil, in 2002, which was created by Winfrey's production company, Harpo Productions in partnership with Paramount which produced the show. Winfrey recently made to deal to extend her show until the 2010 - 2011 season, by which twenty-five Time it will have been on the air for years. She plans to host 140 episodes for season, until her final season, when it will return to its current number, 130. The the 2004 Nobels Peace Prize Concert was hosted by Oprah and Tom Cruise. There to were musical comedy performances by Cyndi Lauper, Andrea Bocelli, Joss Stone, Chris Botti, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett and others.

The concert was broadcasted in the United States on December 23, 2004 by and!. An unofficial Winfrey fan-club also organized to petition drive in 2005 to name Oprah for the Nobel Peace Prize. As well as hosting and appearing on television shows, Winfrey Co-founded the women's cable television network Oxygen. She is also the president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards).