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Did Oprah Make a Mistake?
Harpo, Inc./All Rights Reserved./Photographer: George Burns.
All the world is toasting her, but leaving her network gig may turn out to be an act of hubris Oprah will later regret, write Lloyd Grove and Jacob Bernstein. Plus, a gallery of stars who walked away on top.
What if Oprah got it wrong?
It is, to be sure, a heretical thought, rudely defiant of the media-wise belief that Oprah Winfrey’s announced move from broadcast television to basic cable (when her syndication contract runs out in 2011) is an inspired act of genius in the brave new world of niche programming.
“Tom Brokaw walking away from the evening news at age 62, in my opinion, made a major mistake. Because he lost his platform and he has said to people that he retired too early and that he never should have done it.”
The Oprah Winfrey Network—not coincidentally nicknamed OWN—makes perfect sense (or so conventional wisdom decrees) at a time when mass-market free television is losing viewers, advertising revenue, and ultimate viability, while the audience migrates to cable, the Internet, video on demand, cellphones, and other technologies that facilitate the cherry-picking of preferred content. So far nobody seems to have mentioned “synergy”—a word that fell out of fashion with the AOL-Time Warner merger.
And yet, by walking away from her proven success as the No. 1 daytime television host for the vague promise of something bigger and richer, Oprah is taking a colossal risk. Even with declining ratings, her current broadcast audience will dwarf her future cable numbers. Assuming she’s able to fix the many internal problems at OWN—whose planned launch has been delayed by structural disorganization, confused vision, and high turnover (“it’s sort of a wreck,” said a high-level source in the extended Oprah empire)—will she come up with the secret formula to attract and keep the right advertiser-friendly viewers?
Click Image To View Our Gallery Of The Hazards For Stars Who Walk Away On Top
Then again, what will become of Oprah’s peerless influence on the popular culture? The media firmament is littered with megastars who left a sure thing, either by choice or coercion, only to see their candlepower dim and their relevance fade away. Jerry Seinfeld is now a bit player on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Rosie O’Donnell is hosting a radio show. Howard Stern is on satellite. Tom Brokaw is political analyst on MSNBC. And Ted Koppel—has anybody seen him lately?
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The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
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Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
robjh1
C'mon you get out when you are on top and not at the bottom. Maybe this piece should have been is she out staying her welcome staying until 2011. Surely now her audience will wane now that they know she is hanging it up.
npr1000
I disagree. She's already having her best season in years (creatively/content-wise) and I think she (and her team) will pull out all the stops between now and then. She is still buzzed about, she is still a phenomenon and people will watch to see "the final season."
The best line in this piece was that network television will welcome her back with open arms. This is a no-lose situation for her.
crypto
I don't know which information is right. NBC said her ratings had fallen 13% from last year.
Chicago48
I agree. She's 55, she's on top, she's rich. She can skate through the rest of her life.
Barbara Walters is still working at 80, Oprah can do the same.
galeso
If I had $100 million, I think I would change things up at least once every 25 years.
camfield
Give her a break, everyone. She has a life beyond the stage and public adulation. Instead of fussing around about Oprah and the way she chooses to live, let's turn our attention to health care reform and the war in Afghanistan (and Iraq . . . still).
sophia5
Maybe it's about her ability to Distribute her own show, Full Control.
sandyej
I agree that Oprah's decision to leave her show is indeed an act of hubris. When she tearfully spoke about how her 25 years on TV have "enriched' her, I could not keep a straight face. It sure has enRICHed her - to the tune of millions millions of dollars and a media conglomerate.
As for her tearful goodbye ( amost two years before she is going to leave), what a lot of crocodile tears. Are we going to be subjected to two years of tears until the ultimate, and actual, final goodbye?
Finally, why make the anouncement now? That's an easy answer - it gives her two years to plug her new network.
This is not action guided by emotion, but rather action supercharged with careful and calculated planning.
It will be interesting to see how many of the "great ones" will come on the show and bemoan that she's leaving and at the same time fawn upon her and wish her luck in her new venture. This could be the longest goodbye in TV history.
sophia5
The long goodbye is about transition.
Who believes she's just going to disappear ?
Maybe a late night talk show on her "OWN" channel ?
crypto
I KNOW that's right. But I'm going to be interested to see what she devotes her network to. Wanna take a guess????
LeeConary
Is it really possible for Oprah to make a mistake at this point? Has she not done enough so far, in terms of influence and wealth accumulation, to place her permanently in the categories of accomplished and successful?
UnknownCaller
It's not over till it's over. Didn't Oprah decide to end her show once before?
kingharvest
This is a complete non-story story. She has not DONE anything yet. She still have over a year to manipulate things any way she wants. In the meantime, business as usual.
springsjulie
As for the gallery of who went out on top, how about Johnny Carson? He had the longest run in TV history, but was still popular when he packed up his desk in 1992. I surely missed him once Leno took over. And Johnny was a class act who went away quietly into retirement and enjoyed his remaining years the way he wanted.
crypto
Now you're talking springsjulie. Carson and Mcmahon were the top of late nite. Poor 'ol Letteerman is still miffed cause he didn't get picked for
Carson's job. He'll alway be second fiddle.
Bettie
I, for one wish she would leave now. Her show has been going downhill ever since she decided to "enlighten" America and became a laughing stock.
Here are others who should disappear, Tom Brokow, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Garth Brooks and on and on and on. Some people just don't know when to leave the party. Tom Brokaw is laughable, covering political events. I just didn't realize how much I hated his nasal voice until he pops back up on MSNBC.
Noontime
So...is there anyone you actually, um...I don't know... like?
ccrider27
Never forget this about Oprah:
She was a huge cheerleader for the invasion of Iraq and WMD. Review the youtube video if you need reminding.
At the same time Phil Donohue, who practically invented the genre and had the biggest following for 27 years, was asking pointed questions about the existence of WMD.
All of a sudden Phil was tossed out with the trash, and Oprah's career took off like a rocket.
Coinkidink?
As the Onion said: "Oprah's followers await instructions."
laotzu11
BRAVO ccrider!!!
lucyinthesky
I recall reading recently that Oprah has lost about half her audience. How is that leaving on top? Her connection to the average stay-at-home mom seems to be evaporating, as she has become increasingly preachy, condescending and narcissistic. I will be happy to see her go, and predict that the new network will generate mediocre returns at best.
Chicago48
Do you honestly believe she cares about leaving "on top?" Honestly? The woman owns half the daytime talk shows, she's a producer of TV & movies, she has land and real estate. She is a force that will be with us until the age of 80 -- the same age as Barbara Walters. Walters is still here, isn't she?
Leprekike
LMAO, ccrider27
Oprah has been irrelevant for some time, and the disconnect between her and her audience has been apparent for a long time. The woman has so much money she can't relate to the common folks anymore, evidenced by the car giveaway fiasco and her decision to champion Chicago's Olympic bid. She's become, to a certain degree, clueless, and her preaching rings hollow. Really now, for how many years has this woman advocated better health choices and yet failed to properly maintain her own weight and health? And other women find inspiration in this? Why? I can admit to watching and even enjoying Oprah during her first ten years, but the last 15 have been ridiculously self-serving and trite. The end can't come soon enoough.
Chicago48
There is no end to Oprah, just like there is no end to Barbara Walters. They wrote Barbara off too, but she's still here at 80 y.o.
democracyforall
the media is like a slave driver......give the woman some peace!
2011 is 2 years away......I hope we won't be hearing mistake? mistake? for the next 2 years...get a life!
only Oprah knows what is best for her...
she's deserves to pursue whatever career she wants...
vboone
Wow, you're debating Oprah.
neopatriot
TDB's list missed the most obvious person. Dave Chappele.
Matt572
Probably because everyone else's story actually continued after they left, Chappelle just disappeared...
DakLak
[Yawn]
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