Oprah, Rosie grace cover of O's breakthrough issue (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is joined by Rosie O'Donnell, the newest addition to the media mogul's OWN TV network, for the October issue of O, The Oprah Magazine that looks at breakthrough visionaries in different fields.

Winfrey interviews the controversial O'Donnell, about her move from her home in New York to Chicago for O'Donnell's latest role as a talk-show host on the OWN channel.

"Sometimes you go outside and get beat up by New York. The city accosts you. But being in the middle of Chicago, it's peaceful," revealed the former co-host of "The View."

O'Donnell, an outspoken lesbian who began her career as a stand-up comedian in the late 1970s, also talks with Winfrey about how fame has impacted her life.

"There are some things I'll never get back -- like the normality of life pre-fame. I've had to come to terms with the fact that fame is like a tattoo -- it doesn't go away," said O'Donnell.

Susan Casey, editor-in-chief of Oprah's O Magazine, characterized the interview with O'Donnell as a warm, personal and candid conversation.

"(It) was really funny, and Oprah is hilarious, which not many people usually see," said Casey.

Along with the feature on O'Donnell, the October issue, which hits newsstands on Sept 13, also profiles 15 people who have made breakthroughs in their industry over this year.

Criteria for being named to O's list were sent to the magazine's staff, who were asked to suggest people "who knocked their socks off," according to Casey.

The final selection was whittled down from suggestions by magazine staff and Winfrey, who weighed in on the final list.

NEWCOMERS AND INNOVATORS

The group features newcomers like 18 year-old "literary prodigy" Victoria Ford, as well as established figures such as "The Incredible Hulk" actor Edward Norton, who was one of the people behind the innovative fund-raising site Crowdrise.

"The list is all about the mix," said Casey. "Ed Norton stepped out of his own comfort zone to do something incredible this year."

Among the final 15 are innovators like British fashion designer Suzanne Lee, who earned a spot for her ability to "grow" dresses from tubs of sugar-fed bacteria. "Yarnbomber" Magda Sayeg was picked for using yarn to adorn mundane, inanimate objects, injecting some color into everyday life.

Misty Copeland broke through racial and body image issues to become the American Ballet Theatre's first female, African American soloist. Copeland has this advice in O for being the best one can be: "If you try something and you feel a connection to it, you have to pursue it."

The theme of breakthroughs is aimed at inspiring readers in an inclusive manner, or trying to "bring the step ladder down," Casey said.

"A breakthrough is a positive thing. Our motto is 'live your best life,' and one of the things people look at is what's holding them back," said Casey.

Casey picks Tony-winner Nikki M. James, the breakout star of Broadway hit "The Book of Mormon," as one person to watch in the future, and the O editor said she wants to write more about Frances Beinecke, president of environmental activist organization, National Resources Defense Council.

"What she does has never been more important than it is now," said Casey of Beinecke, whom she profiled for the issue.

The 'breakthrough' issue also includes a feature on breast cancer in which staff writer Katie Arnold-Ratliffe documented the stories of three women who were diagnosed with breast cancer, exploring their physical and emotional journey.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Oprah to conduct first live chat on Facebook (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey will be doing her first-ever live chat with social media website Facebook on Thursday, Sept 8.

Facebook users can tune into the hour-long live video chat on the site at 1:30 pm EDT, and can leave questions for Winfrey on the page wall created for the event.

The 57 year-old Winfrey has embraced social media. She has almost 6.3 million fans on Facebook and more than 7.2 million followers on Twitter.

Winfrey hosted the final season of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in May this year. She continues to host a prime-time show on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) television channel, which launched at the beginning of this year.

(Reporting and Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Oprah, James Earl Jones to receive Oscars (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor James Earl Jones will receive an honorary Oscar this year and Oprah Winfrey will be presented with a humanitarian award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced.

Winfrey and Jones, both past Oscar nominees, will receive their awards at the academy's annual Governors Awards on November 12, along with makeup artist Dick Smith, who will also be honored with an Oscar.

Jones, a veteran of more than 50 films starting with "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," was nominated as best actor in 1970 for "The Great White Hope." Younger fans know him as the voice of Darth Vader in the "Star Wars" franchise.

Winfrey, who will be honored with the Jean Hersholt award, was nominated as best actress in her debut film, "The Color Purple," in 1985.

Smith, who is known as the "godfather of makeup," won an Oscar in 1984 for "Amadeus." His other noteworthy films include "The Godfather," "The Exorcist" and "Taxi Driver."

Both honorary awards, as well the Jean Hersholt award, are in the form of Oscar statuettes.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; editing by Patricia Reaney)

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Oprah to receive Oscars humanitarian award (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – US talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is to be honored with an Oscars statuette later this year for her outstanding humanitarian work, Academy Awards officials said Wednesday.

The 57-year-old television megastar -- nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar 25 years ago for her work in "The Color Purple" -- is to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at a dinner in November, officials said.

The award has been given out intermittently by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1956. Previous recipients include Bob Hope, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman and Jerry Lewis.

The Academy said that since her Oscar nomination in 1986, Winfrey had become "one of the most influential figures in entertainment and philanthropy."

"She has been especially dedicated to supporting educational initiatives and raising awareness of issues that affect women and children, both in the United States and around the globe," it said in a statement.

Winfrey is one of the richest women in the United States, with Forbes magazine estimating her net worth at $2.4 billion in 2010.

In May, she pulled the curtain down on her wildly popular talk show -- seen by an estimated 40 million Americans each week -- after 25 years on the air.

Winfrey will be honored at the Governors Awards dinner on November 12, along with veteran actor James Earl Jones and make-up artist Dick Smith, who will each receive Honorary Awards for their contributions to the industry.

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OWN gets Oprah the CEO but needs Oprah the star (Reuters)

NEW YORK (TheWrap) – Oprah Winfrey's taking on the title of "permanent CEO" of OWN was a bold admission that the network needs her help. But she could help more in front of the camera than behind a desk.

OWN averaged 137,000 daily viewers, down from 154,000 for Discovery Health in the second quarter of this year, according to Nielsen.

It has also burned through money.

There are hundreds of excellent CEOs, but only one Oprah Winfrey. OWN's success may depend on the Queen of Talk's willingness to do what she does best -- and may do better than anyone in television history.

"I think she would have liked to enjoy a little more time off from her TV show after 25 years," said Horizon Media senior vice president of research Brad Adgate. "She might have to at least initially have more of an on-air presence, and back off once it gets its sea legs."

Winfrey captivates an audience like no one else. The episode that capped 25 years of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" scored her 16 million viewers and commanded $1 million for each 30 seconds of ad time. To the end, an army of fans hung on her inspirational advice and personal revelations -- including one of a secret half-sister.

But Winfrey's success has been less certain behind the scenes. After helping launch Oxygen in 2000, she resigned from its board of directors, later telling the Baltimore Sun, "the channel did not reflect my voice."

OWN does, but her fans want more than just a reflection of her voice -- they want her. Winfrey's experiment with curating the network with shows that showcase her interests and highlight her friends' talents has been disappointing at best.

For all the hype surrounding OWN -- and money OWN co-owner Discovery Communications has poured into it -- OWN's ratings are slightly down from those of Discovery Health, the network Winfrey's replaced.

The solution, as it has been in the past, may be for Oprah to again seize on her fans' connection with her by appearing more often on the network that bears her name. Her gift has always been in communicating with people directly -- something Discovery Communications tacitly acknowledged when it boosted OWN's funding last year.

In August, after Discovery said it was burning through its $100 million commitment to the network more quickly than expected, Winfrey agreed to star in a new OWN show -- and Discovery promptly found OWN another $89 million. In February, it committed another $50 million.

Winfrey's gift for enthralling audiences even extends to the group of CEOs she now joins. She was the star of investment banker Herb Allen's annual gathering of moguls in Sun Valley last week, keeping an audience of Hollywood executives and Internet billionaires rapt.

"She talked about how she could have an impact on people's lives," said one high-profile attendee. "She didn't talk about money."

She doesn't need to. Because no matter how much OWN spends, she is her own ace in the hole. Winfrey can always raise her network's profile -- or revenues -- by stepping into the studio lights.

Winfrey promised even before OWN debuted that she would be involved with every aspect of programing at the network, telling The Wall Street Journal: "I am hands-on, digging in there, looking through every tape...I'm not just up to my knees. I'm up to my thighs."

But what a waste of her time and talents that would be.

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Oprah Winfrey to become CEO of her network (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oprah Winfrey will take over as chief executive officer of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network this fall, the cable channel said on Wednesday.

Winfrey, regarded as the most influential woman on U.S. television, will be the third CEO of the company since its debut in January. She will also become chief creative officer as the network prepares for her new talk show, "Oprah's Next Chapter," to debut in January 2012.

"I am ready to dedicate my full creative energy and focus as the full-time CEO of OWN," Winfrey said in a statement.

OWN is co-owned by Winfrey and Discovery Communications Inc.

Discovery Chief Operating Officer Peter Ligouri has been interim CEO of OWN since he replaced Christina Norman in May.

Norman was pushed out after Discovery CEO David Zaslav said OWN's ratings had been "below our expectations." Executives have said that more investments in the joint venture will depend on ratings through the next several quarters.

Discovery spent $215 million to fund the venture through the first quarter.

OWN also said two current presidents of Winfrey's Harpo Studios, Erik Logan and Sheri Salata, would move to the same role at the cable channel.

The two will work with Ligouri as the network rolls out new shows. Comedian Rosie O'Donnell's daily talk show will start in October, OWN said.

(Reporting by Roy Strom; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

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Oprah Winfrey expanding her role at OWN channel (AP)

NEW YORK – Oprah Winfrey is expanding her role at her struggling network beyond the position of chairman.

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced Wednesday that she will also become the chief executive officer and chief creative officer beginning this fall.

Winfrey is claiming the title once held by Christina Norman, the former CEO who was dismissed in May in the wake of disappointing ratings for the channel. Norman's position has been filled in the interim by Peter Liguori, the chief operating officer for Discovery Communications.

OWN premiered Jan. 1. It's a joint venture of Discovery and Winfrey's Harpo, Inc.

Winfrey's syndicated talk show ended in May. She has since pledged to devote her full energies to OWN.

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Oscar organizers downplay talk of Oprah as host (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Oscar organizers on Friday downplayed speculation that former talk show queen and Oscar nominee Oprah Winfrey might be hosting Hollywood's top film honors next year.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Winfrey, who ended the "Oprah Winfrey Show" in May to run her OWN cable TV network, has emerged as a top candidate to host the Academy Awards in February.

The Sun-Times, citing unnamed sources inside the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said organizers think Winfrey's presence would expand the show's audience and, given that her talk show ended only recently, they believe she will lure her legions of fans to the 84th Oscar show in February.

But the academy said no decision had been made.

"Every year there's always great interest and excitement about who will host the Oscars," the academy said in a statement. "This is a wonderful example of just that, and at this point, there is nothing for us to comment on regarding who is or is not on the rumored Oscar host list."

Winfrey was nominated for best supporting actress in "The Color Purple," and should she host the show, she would become the third solo female to do so behind Whoopi Goldberg -- who hosted four times -- and Ellen DeGeneres.

Earlier this year, actress Anne Hathaway co-hosted the Oscars with James Franco in an attempt by the Academy to lure in younger viewers.

However, only 37.6 million Americans watched the ceremony, making the telecast one of the least-watched Academy Awards shows of the past 10 years. It was down nearly 10 percent from the 41.7 million who tuned in the previous year when Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin co-hosted.

(Reporting by Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Oprah receives South African honorary doctorate (AP)

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa – Oprah Winfrey accepted an honorary degree from a central South African university infamous for troubled race relations, saying Friday the institution had turned an ugly experience into a model for confronting the challenges of reconciliation and remorse.

Winfrey came to a school where five years ago, four white students made a video humiliating black housekeeping staff — they are shown eating a stew the students had mimed spiking with urine — and expressing opposition to integrating the historically white University of the Free State. Jonathan Jansen, who in 2009 became the university's first black rector, called for the four to be forgiven and rehabilitated.

Jansen withstood accusations he was conceding too much to racists as he led the university, the students and the cleaners in a closely watched discussion of the role forgiveness could play in post-apartheid South Africa. In a campus ceremony earlier this year, the students' public apology was accepted by the cleaners.

After receiving her honorary education doctorate Friday, Winfrey called five cleaners to the stage and pronounced them heroes.

"What has happened here at Free State in terms of racial reconciliation, of peace, of harmony, of one heart understanding and opening itself to another heart is nothing short of a miracle," she said. "It is truly what the new South Africa is all about."

Winfrey said she had approached Jansen after reading about his work, and accepted an invitation to come to speak to students. University officials decided to make it a grand event.

A roar from hundreds of people gathered outside first alerted those inside the university auditorium that Winfrey was about to enter for a ceremony for one that offered as much pomp, circumstance, song and dance as a full class's graduation. She threw her arms out with joy when told she was now a member of the university family — a "Kovsie." Other moments moved her to tears.

She kneeled on a padded stool to have her degree bestowed, flashing red stiletto heels to the cheering audience of all races.

The event brought international media to normally quiet Bloemfontein, the farming center where the century-old, 31,000-student university is based.

Susan Mshumpela, a 37-year-old Bloemfontein native, came to the ceremony proudly dressed in the black robes she wore when she accepted her MBA from Free State last year. Mshumpela, operations manager for an agency that helps small businesses, said she hoped Winfrey's visit would give her alma mater a chance to tell the world about its strengths.

"The eyes of the world are here," she said. "I don't think a person of her stature could just accept an honorary degree from just any university. She would want to be associated with a university of stature."

Nadipha Jacobs, a black student, says the university is growing more tolerant.

"In many ways, I feel the university and its people have grown," said Jacobs, who started as an undergraduate in 1996 and now is a graduate student specializing in development studies.

Chantell De Reuck, a white graduate student strolling across campus Friday with her friend Jacobs, said the divides that are healing weren't just along racial lines. When she arrived as an undergraduate in 1999, she was among only six English-speaking students in a dorm dominated by Afrikaners, descendants of early Dutch settlers who speak Afrikaans. The English students stuck together then. Not now, De Reuck said.

De Reuck said black and white students at the university can connect to Winfrey's personal story of early years of struggle and abuse, and find inspiration in her current success.

A 4,500-seat auditorium was full for Winfrey's ceremony. Tickets were sold for 10 rand (about $1), most of that covering computer sales processing fees. Local reporters said hawkers selling fake tickets on Bloemfontein streets didn't increase the price. University officials warned those with fake tickets would not be admitted.

Winfrey is a frequent visitor to South Africa, where she opened a school in 2007 dedicated to giving bright young women of all races opportunities in a society where they are handicapped by conservative traditions as well as the poor schools that are a legacy of apartheid.

Her school's first class just graduated, overcoming early setbacks that included a scandal over a dormitory supervisor accused of trying to kiss and fondle students. The supervisor was acquitted of sexual assault charges last year.

In a passage that drew cheers from the audience Friday, the citation accompanying Winfrey's honorary doctorate, the 152nd awarded by the university, said Winfrey "has truly become a South African.

"She did so because she believed that there was important work to be done here, and she wanted to be part of what Nelson Mandela and others had begun."

Previous recipients of Free State honorary degrees include anti-apartheid icons Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Winfrey's visit overlapped with that of another famous Chicagoan — Michelle Obama, wife of the U.S. president. The two had dinner together on Tuesday in Johannesburg.

___

Donna Bryson can be reached on http://twitter.com/dbrysonAP

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Oprah Winfrey admits to "bumps" at upstart network (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Oprah Winfrey admitted on Thursday that if she had to do the launch of OWN all over again: "I'd probably do it differently."

Speaking at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's annual Cable Show in Chicago, Winfrey conceded that there have been "bumps" in the run-up and launch of OWN, her joint venture with Discovery Communications. But she says now that her talk show has wrapped after a 25-year run, she is 100 percent "committed" to growing OWN.

"This is the moment I've been waiting for the past two years," she said. "I need to be there. I need to be engaged and involved."

The network launched January 1 to healthy ratings as the curious tuned in after a full-court media blitz by Winfrey. But the network's ratings quickly came down to Earth and have failed to meet expectations amid ballooning programing costs.

"I told people I was having a network and so my audience came thinking it's all there," said Winfrey during a Q&A with Investigation Discovery's Paula Zahn.

The launch of the channel was twice delayed amid a revolving door of executives. Then last month, Christina Norman, who came from MTV to launch OWN, was ousted as CEO with Discovery COO Peter Liguori stepping in as interim CEO.

Winfrey said her intention is to "serve the viewer" and she "lets other people worry about ratings." She admitted that she does not even open emails her staff sends her about coverage of the network's troubles. She admitted it is difficult for her to delegate and relinquish some control after 25 years of micromanaging her talk show. And she said she had to be convinced to focus all of her energies on OWN.

"One of the things (Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav) said to me was. 'We need you to be all in. It's all in or nothing. And if you choose not to be all in we will both go our separate ways and wish you well,'" recalled Winfrey. "And I had to think about that."

"The truth of the matter is," she added, "I was all in with one foot out the door while finishing the final season (of The Oprah Winfrey Show)."

One of the criticisms of the channel, was that there was not enough of Winfrey on it. In January she'll launch her new OWN interview show, "Oprah's Next Chapter." Asked who her "dream" guests are, Winfrey said O.J. Simpson and Susan Smith, who is serving a life sentence in South Carolina for murdering her two sons. Winfrey had tried to get both Smith and Simpson on her talk show. She said she wants to ask Smith why she fabricated a story that a black man stole her car with her children inside. As for Simpson, said Winfrey: "I have a dream of O.J. Simpson confessing to me. And I am going to make that happen, people!"

Winfrey is in the process of relocating from Chicago, where her talk show taped, to Los Angeles where OWN is headquartered. She said much of her staff at Chicago-based Harpo will remain to work on Rosie O'Donnell's OWN talker -- which launches this fall -- as well as repackaging the 25-year library of her syndicated show, which will also begin airing on OWN this fall.

(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

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'Oprah Winfrey' finale seen by 16 million viewers (AP)

NEW YORK – When Oprah Winfrey told her daytime viewers farewell last month, more than 16 million were watching.

The Nielsen Co. reported Wednesday that the May 25 finale of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" drew 16.4 million viewers. This made the finale the show's most-watched episode in more than 18 years, since the February 1993 airing of its "Why I Love Older Women" episode, which was seen by 17.3 million viewers.

Nielsen says the audience for the surprise farewell episode that aired May 23 drew 12.3 million viewers. The second part of that gala event attracted 13 million viewers when it aired May 24.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" averaged 8.2 million viewers during May.

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'Oprah' finale scores biggest audience in 17 years (AP)

NEW YORK – Preliminary figures show Wednesday's finale of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" scored its highest audience in 17 years.

The Nielsen Co. said Thursday that the final episode delivered a 13.3 household rating in the nation's metered markets.

It was the highest number since February 1994. That's when an "Oprah" episode called "People Shed Their Disguises" got a 13.4 rating.

Metered market ratings measure roughly half the nation and can't be translated into audience figures. A viewer count for the "Oprah" finale won't be available from Nielsen for two weeks.

The metered market rating for Monday's surprise farewell episode of "Oprah" logged a 10.2. Nielsen said Tuesday's episode got a 10.7.

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Factbox: Highlights of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (Reuters)

CHICAGO (Reuters) – "The Oprah Winfrey Show" airs its last original episode on Wednesday, bringing to a close 25 years of the top-rated talk program on U.S. television.

Winfrey, 57, was a pioneer in the art of confessional television and in promoting discussion of formerly taboo subjects including incest, rape, sexual abuse and depression.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" also became the go-to place for celebrities and politicians to promote new ventures and to apologize publicly for their indiscretions.

Following are some highlights from the past 25 years of "The Oprah Winfrey Show":

* Approximately 30,000 guests have appeared on the show, including presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

* Singer Celine Dion (27 times) and comedian Chris Rock (26 times) are the celebrities with the most appearances.

* November 1986; Winfrey revealed she was sexually abused and raped by a relative at age 9.

* November 1988; Winfrey shows off her new, slimmer figure and brings on a wagon holding 67 pounds of fat representing her weight loss.

* February 1993; Michael Jackson, in first TV interview for 14 years, said he had skin condition vitiligo, talked of physical abuse from his father and said he often cried out of loneliness.

* April 1996; Comments by a guest about mad cow disease prompt Winfrey to say she won't eat hamburger, triggering a drop in beef prices and a lawsuit against her by Texas cattlemen. A jury later sides with Winfrey.

* November 1997; Comedian Ellen DeGeneres talks about coming out as a lesbian.

* May 2005; Tom Cruise jumps on Oprah's couch, proclaiming his love for new girlfriend Katie Holmes.

* January 2006; Winfrey scolds author James Frey, a recent Book Club pick, for faking parts of his memoir "A Million Little Pieces".

* September 2009; Former child star Mackenzie Philips reveals incestuous relationship with her father, "The Mamas and the Papas" singer John Phillips.

* June 2010; Britain's Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, publicly apologizes for trying to sell access to Prince Andrew.

* September 2010; Winfrey announces free trip to Australia for studio audience of about 300 people.

* January 2011; Winfrey holds reunion with her newly-discovered half sister.

* May 23, 24, 2011; Tom Cruise, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, Michael Jordan, Madonna, Usher, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Stevie Wonder, Jamie Fox, Halle Berry and many other celebrities bid farewell to Winfrey in surprise show.

(Sources; Harpo Inc, Reuters)

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Chris Michaud)

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The long journey for talk show queen Oprah Winfrey (AFP)

CHICAGO (AFP) – Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is a US cultural phenomenon and kingmaker who inspired her millions of loyal fans to read more, buy her favorite things and seek her trademark "aha moments."

She is credited with changing the way people talk to each other, having popularized a confessional interview style that has coaxed secrets, revelations and often tears from guests of all kinds.

Winfrey, 57, who has publicly struggled with her own weight issues, has also become a spiritual icon and self-help guru urging viewers to find their true selves, follow their intuition and find inner peace and happiness.

"She blazed a trail," Ellen Degeneres, a comedian who hosts her own daytime talk show, once said. "She will always be the queen of daytime."

Born into a life of poverty and abuse in Mississippi in 1954, Winfrey began her broadcasting career while she was still in high school and landed a job as a news anchor in Nashville at age 19.

Her emotional ad-libs won her a Chicago morning talk show in 1984, which beat rival Phil Donahue for the top spot locally within a month and was syndicated nationally in 1986. She also acted in the 1985 hit film "The Color Purple."

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" remained the top-rated talk show of all time and was estimated to reach 40 million US viewers a week.

The show served as the foundation for an empire that spans books, radio, magazines and the Internet and has launched the careers of a host of regular guests including counselor Dr Phil and chef Rachael Ray.

Winfrey began her own production company in 1988 and named it Harpo -- her name backwards -- and Forbes magazine declared her the first female African-American billionaire in 2003.

Winfrey is now estimated to be worth 2.7 billion dollars and is regularly ranked among the world's most powerful women, celebrities and media personalities.

"I am truly amazed that I who started out in rural Mississippi in 1954 when the vision for a black girl was limited to being either a maid or a teacher in a segregated school could end up here," she said Wednesday as she drew the curtain on her final show.

But fans won't have to look far for their Oprah fix: the Oprah Winfrey Network was launched on January 1 this year and features a mix of reality shows, chat shows and films.

Known as an almost uniquely influential tastemaker, Winfrey's recommendation of a book or product has an instantaneous and enormous effect.

Through her now-defunct televised book club she popularized works including Cormac McCarthy's "The Road."

Her stamp of approval was considered so important that she managed to convince the famously-reclusive author to appear on her show for his first ever television interview.

In 2008, she broke with a precedent of staying out of politics and endorsed fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama's presidential bid.

Her support was estimated by University of Maryland researchers to have brought in a million additional votes and helped Obama win both the Democratic nomination and the presidency.

Her strength remained the emotional connection she makes with her guests and her viewers, and many celebrities chose Winfrey's comfortable couch as a confessional.

Tom Cruise famously jumped up on that sofa to proclaim his love for Katie Holmes. Winfrey also took her show to Neverland Ranch for a 1993 interview with Michael Jackson which drew an audience of 100 million people.

Winfrey's use of public confession as therapy was not reserved for guests: she regularly spoke of her battles with her fluctuating weight and of the sexual abuse she suffered as a child.

She fought to help prevent child abuse by establishing a national database of convicted child abusers, which became known as the "Oprah Bill" when former president Bill Clinton signed it into law in 1993.

Winfrey is also a noted philanthropist, launching a public charity in 1998 to encourage her viewers to make a difference in the lives of others and a private foundation devoted to expanding access to education worldwide.

Winfrey has never married and has kept her more than 20-year relationship with businessman Stedman Graham largely out of public view.

But for her final show Wednesday he was in the audience, as she bade a tearful farewell to her legions of fans.

"From you whose names I will never know I learned what love is. You and this show have been the great love of my life," she said.

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Oprah Winfrey bows out with simplicity, gratitude (Reuters)

CHICAGO (Reuters) – No guests, no makeovers, no giveaways.

Oprah Winfrey kicked off her last-ever original episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" by telling a studio audience that the broadcast would be a simple, celebrity-free affair focused on what her audience has meant to her.

"You and this show have been the great love of my life," a tearful Winfrey told viewers in "The Oprah Winfrey Finale," taped before a studio audience of 400 on Tuesday afternoon and broadcast on Wednesday morning.

"This last show is really about me saying thank you," she said. "It is my love letter to you."

Wearing a simple pink dress, Winfrey took the stage to a standing ovation and showed clips from some of her earliest broadcasts while sharing her gratitude and life lessons with viewers.

"Thank you, America. There are no words to match this moment."

Winfrey, 57, was a pioneer in the art of confessional television and in promoting discussion of formerly taboo subjects including incest, rape, sexual abuse and depression.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" also became the go-to place for celebrities and politicians to promote new ventures and to apologize publicly for their indiscretions.

The Oprah Book Club, started 15 years ago, championed 65 titles and has almost 2 million members. In one memorable 2004 show, Winfrey gave all 276 audience members a new car.

Winfrey announced in November 2009 that she would end her popular talk show after 25 years. She is expected to focus in the next few years on her cable channel OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), which launched in January 2011.

In contrast to the glitzy "surprise spectacular" featuring Beyonce, Madonna and Tom Hanks, taped in a basketball arena and which aired on Monday and Tuesday, the final broadcast was a humble recap of the values Winfrey believed in.

At one point the host introduced from the audience her fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Duncan, whom she praised as an early "liberator" who made her feel valued.

Winfrey urged viewers to find their calling, make the world a better place and take control of their lives. One of her most cherished tributes, she said, was a letter from a viewer who said, "Oprah, watching you be yourself makes me want to be more myself."

Near the end of the hour-long broadcast, Winfrey spoke of her roots in rural Mississippi. "It is no coincidence a lonely little girl who felt not a lot of love, even though my parents and grandparents did the best they could ... It is no coincidence that I grew up to feel the genuine kindness, affection, trust, and validation from millions of you, all over the world.

"From you, whose names I will never know, I learned what love is. You and this show have been the great love of my life."

Winfrey gave no hint of her future plans but urged viewers to keep in touch at her email address, oprah@oprah.com

(Reporting by Matthew Lewis, Chicago newsroom, editing by xxx)

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Stars talk about Oprah Winfrey (AP)

NEW YORK – As the final original "Oprah Winfrey Show" airs Wednesday, celebrities talk about the talk show host.

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"I've got to say, I bow before cultural icons like Oprah, who take things that can be as minor and goofy as an hour worth of TV and turn it into something that is actually something everybody can be talking about. You know what's going to be missing now from the vernacular? 'Did you see Oprah yesterday? Did you see that girl on "Oprah?" Did you see that thing on "Oprah?"' So, we're going to miss her. God bless her service. But we'll get by." — Tom Hanks.

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"I have been an avid Oprah watcher for as long as I can remember, sharing laughs and tears with millions upon millions of viewers, all with whom she has touched in various ways. She has such a genuine compassion and intellect that is universally embraced. While I'm sad to watch this chapter in Oprah's career come to a close, I look forward to watching her legacy continue through OWN." — Nicole Kidman.

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"During the time of the Oscars she called and said, 'I want you to understand the significance of what you're about to do. I don't want you to joke it away.' She knew I was being a little bit reckless. She took me to Quincy Jones' house and inside the house were all of these actors that came before me — mostly African American actors. They were like, 'We're really counting on you to walk the right way, do the right thing' and this was leading up to the awards and then she took me to see Sidney Poitier. At that moment I was like, 'Now here's my Oprah moment.' It's not about herself. It's about how can I take Jamie Foxx and give him a boost, give him a mental boost and change his life literally forever. Meeting Sidney Poitier and Quincy Jones and being able to hang with them, I got the keys to unlock doors that probably would have never been open to me. She's an amazing person." — Jamie Foxx.

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"Oprah was part of our lives. She was in our living rooms. She cried with us, she laughed with us. One part of me is sad to see that go but another part of me is happy for her growth and for her expanding and having her OWN network and all of that and just evolving as a person. I'm sure she wants a break as well." — Stacy Ann "Fergie" Ferguson of the Black Eyed Peas. The group appeared on "Oprah" numerous times including in September 2009 when the show shut down parts of Chicago's Michigan Avenue.

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"I think that Oprah's legacy is that she has made a difference and that's what we as women want to do. We want to make a difference in this world and she's made a difference in a lot of ways. She's made a difference in really fun things and she's made a difference in really serious things and she's told us stories that ... I'd never heard — the word abuse. ... I wouldn't even know what that was. She's made a difference so for me that's why I respect her. ... She will be remembered long after she's gone." — Stevie Nicks,

who made her first appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in April 2011.

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"When I think about the Oprah legacy it's humbling. She's changed the lives of millions of people. She brought important issues to the dinner table that never would have been there otherwise. She leaves behind a body of work that will never be paralleled. Of course, she also leaves behind a time slot at 4pm." — Ellen DeGeneres.

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"It's been an honor to have been a guest on Oprah's show throughout the years. She has meant a lot to me personally and professional, and she truly is in a class of her own. I'm sure she's going to continue to pioneer the way television is presented on her OWN network." — Celine Dion who has been a guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" more than any other celebrity.

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"Oprah has set the bar so high that no one touches her. She redefined the genre. ... The thing I respect most about her is her absolute authenticity — she is genuinely curious about everyone she meets, expresses a genuine gratitude to all who cross her path and has a zest for life that is second to none. She is a seeker of the truth and then once she finds it she is generous enough to share all her wisdom with the rest of us." — Hugh Jackman who famously injured his eye in a zip line accident appearing on an "Oprah" show taping in his native Australia in December 2010.

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Associated Press video producers Mike Cidoni Lennox and Natalie Rotman in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS Fergie's name to Stacy Ann.)

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Oprah Winfrey focuses on fans during finale (AP)

CHICAGO – In the end, it was just Oprah.

For the final episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" taped Tuesday, the talk show queen appeared alone on her Chicago stage, talking to viewers about what they've meant to her during the show's 25-year run. The finale will air on Wednesday.

Fans leaving Tuesday's taping said Winfrey had tears in her eyes as the television icon said a final thank you.

"She said, `This isn't goodbye. This is until we meet again," said Amy Korin, 32, of Chicago, who was in the audience.

Winfrey then kissed and hugged her longtime partner, Stedman Graham, and made her way through the halls of Harpo Studios, saying goodbye to her staff, audience members said. She kept saying, "We did it! We did it!," Korin said, and giving employees high-fives.

There was a single chair on the stage, but Winfrey stood most of the time, audience members said.

"A lot of crying and hugs, crying and hugs," Korin said.

Audience members described a simply produced series finale filled with a sense of gratitude.

"It was just her the whole time, a recap of what she believed in, what we've given her as viewers and what she hopes she has given us," said Nancy Evankoe, 60, Hoffman Estates, who went to the taping with her daughter.

Winfrey announced in November 2009 that she would end her popular talk show after 25 years. Tuesday's taping comes a week after Hollywood's A-list and 13,000 fans bid Winfrey farewell during a double-episode extravaganza at Chicago's United Center. The shows that aired Monday and Tuesday included Aretha Franklin, Tom Cruise, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jordan and Madonna, among other stars of television, music and movies.

The bare-bones final taping had its share of celebrities in the audience including Tyler Perry, Maria Shriver, Suze Orman and Cicely Tyson, but none of them joined Winfrey on stage.

Hundreds of giddy fans struck by their luck at getting tickets for the final show had gathered outside Winfrey's television studio in Chicago Tuesday morning.

Sarah Cranley, 32, of Chicago waited in line with her mother, who traveled in from Pittsburgh for the taping. Cranley said she felt very lucky to snag tickets to the last show and the prospect of seeing Winfrey live didn't yet feel real.

"You think about how many billions of people around the world watch her and want to be here," Cranley said. "What are the odds?"

Cranley's mother, Sally Mowrey, 59, said Winfrey was a constant in her life when her husband's job transfers had her family move 17 times.

"That was something I could count one, watching Oprah," Mowrey said. "That was one thing that didn't change."

Fans said they went through the normal ticketing process for the final taping by submitting their names online. Some said they wrote letters explaining why they were Winfrey fans.

Winfrey's best friend Gayle King mixed with the waiting fans and interviewed several with a camera phone. For her, the show's end is bittersweet.

"I have such mixed feelings about it," King told fans.

The finale of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" has remained a secret, even as Harpo Studios hyped it as a television event.

In a promotional video posted online May 16, clips of famous television finales plays over a sad song with the lyrics "It's hard to say goodbye." It includes Mary Tyler Moore, Walter Cronkite, Johnny Carson, "M.A.S.H," `'The Cosby Show," and "Cheers."

The video asks viewers "Where were you?" and "Where will you be?" Another promotional video for the final three episodes prompts viewers to "Say farewell."

When Winfrey announced her show would end she promised her viewers she would use the final season to "knock your socks off." On her 25th and final season premiere she danced onstage with John Travolta and told everyone in the audience they were going to Australia.

Other season highlights included interviews with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, former President George W. Bush and Michael Jackson's family. Winfrey also revealed she found a sister who her mother gave up for adoption.

Already a television journalist, Winfrey came to Chicago in 1984 to WLS-TV's morning talk show, "A.M. Chicago." A month later the show was No. 1 in the market. A year later it was renamed "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Winfrey opened Harpo Studios on Chicago's West Loop neighborhood in 1990. On Jan. 1 of this year she launched the Oprah Winfrey Network, which is based in Los Angeles.

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Online:

http://www.oprah.com

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Man fakes mugging to cover for failure to get Oprah tickets (Reuters)

CHICAGO (Hollywood Reporter) – A 44-year-old Canadian man says he concocted a lie that he was mugged so he wouldn't have to tell his wife that he had no tickets to Oprah Winfrey's final show.

Robert Spearing faces felony charges for telling police that two men roughed him up in Chicago and took the coveted tickets.

According to local reports, he later confessed to making up the story because he was afraid to tell his wife that they had traveled all the way to Chicago without tickets. He told police he faked his injuries by cutting his own forehead with a rock and scraping his hands on the sidewalk.

Spearing was charged with one count of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. He is due for another court hearing next Tuesday.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

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The Oprah Effect: 3 Books I Would Never Have Read (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | As "The Oprah Winfrey Show" ends, I wonder what I am going to do during her allotted time slot. For many years at 4 p.m., I faithfully found a remote control to tune in to the episodes of irreplaceable entertainment, encouraging me to live my best life. The media mogul is now ending her show after 25 years.

Oprah's star-studded farewell celebration will air early this week, leading up to her final show on Wednesday. The surprise event kicked off at Chicago's United Center last week, according to the Associated Press.

Harpo Productions received over 154,000 ticket requests to see the historic event, but that number pales in comparison to all of the "extended family" she has accumulated over the years. Although her show is ending, she will still be in the forefront, with her new network, OWN, and O Magazine.

Yet as this particular chapter ends, I cannot help but feel like a close friend is moving away. As a small girl, I could remember the women in my life always had Oprah on at her dedicated time, whether I liked it or not. As the issues floated over my young mind, I could not possibly know the impact that she would make upon my life.

One legacy that has made an impact on the world, including myself, is the Oprah Book Club. For over 10 years, the show featured books that she felt worthy of her stamp of approval and a global conversation.

Like Winfrey, it seems like I have been an avid reader my whole life. I read one of her book club selections, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, around the age of 12. When my peers' favorite pastimes were music and fashion, it comforted me to know that Oprah was a reader too.

Though the show is ending and my heart is saddened, it has caused me to reflect on my favorite books that Oprah has enticed me to read.

1. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Oprah decided that she would use her show to give back to the world. One of those ways was discussing the spiritual side of our lives, so she introduced authors of books exploring different approaches to our traditional thoughts of spirituality. In Tolle's display of thinking, we should be conscious of our thoughts and the world around us.

This book is so profound: It attempts to explain the part of us he calls the "egoic mind," which is dysfunctional by nature. With this book, I became more aware of what was going on around me, from my thoughts to the movies I watch. The book points out that science and technology, although beneficial, magnify our abnormal behavior. That is why we can watch movies of people beaten and killed for our entertainment.

2. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

Oprah was so taken by this book in 1992 that she gave Wally Lamb a call to thank him personally for writing it, the author wrote for USA Today. A few years later, Oprah offered this book as a one of her book club selections. That is where I come in.

This book is incredibly sad. The main character, Delores, went from having depressing circumstances as a teenager which catapulted her to a sad adulthood. Nonetheless, the craftsmanship is undeniable. As my heart twisted with all of her wrong choices, I could not help but think, "Did someone actually make this up?" The character seemed so real.

I would have never picked up this nondescript book if it had not been for Oprah. This book prompted me to look at my life and declare that it is not so bad. Whatever hand that is given to me, I have the choice to hold it or fold it.

3. White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Oprah brought this book to my attention. Astrid, the main character, is a young girl who was born into awful circumstances, such as a murderous mother and moving from foster home to foster home. Oprah loved this book; not only were the characters believable, but the way Fitch put her words together made a beautiful arrangement.

"I fell in love with a story that deeply moved me, and vivid passages that described the sky as the color of peaches and compared sorrow to the taste of a copper penny," writes Oprah. This book, although sad, was not depressing. A poetic journey of youth and self-discovery, White Oleander, a book I would never have read, will have a place in my heart forever.

When Winfrey does her final closing, her ambition to bring hope to her viewers will be a success. From her candid conversations with celebrities and newsmakers to prompting her viewers to enjoy literature, she must know her efforts are appreciated and will be missed dearly.

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When Oprah says goodbye, will she really be gone? (AP)

NEW YORK – The sun will come out on Thursday. Bet your bottom dollar.

Moreover, the Earth will almost certainly still be spinning on its axis.

Even in Chicago, the city Oprah Winfrey is abandoning, life is pretty sure to continue as normal. Expect the pizza to be as tasty and the gusts off Lake Michigan to be as persistent on Thursday as they were the day before.

This is not to say change isn't in the wind.

As everybody knows, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is ending Wednesday after a spectacularly successful, quarter-century run, and the air is thick with "we-shall-not-see-its-likes-again" eulogies.

Understandable. After being a long fixture on daytime TV as well as in the national psyche, it may be hard for us to imagine how the 60-minute void Oprah is leaving can be filled. (Though it won't need to be filled until September. "Oprah" reruns will air on most stations throughout the summer months, helping viewers through their process of withdrawal.)

The closest thing to an heir apparent seems to be "Dr. Oz," the Winfrey-produced talk show whose star, Dr. Mehmet Oz, one of Winfrey's proteges. In many markets he's being rewarded with the 4 p.m. slot where "Oprah" reigned for so long.

But there is no clear consensus. In a few markets, the former "Oprah" station will forgo any syndicated replacement and instead launch an added hour of local news.

In short, these are big shoes to fill as Oprah Winfrey walks away.

Of course, her leave-taking has caught no one by surprise. She made it official in November 2009, declaring that "the countdown to the end of `The Oprah Winfrey Show' starts now."

At the time, I invited Oprah fans to get an early start on the grieving process as they began planning how to deal with the loss. I noted that, for a generation, Winfrey "has been our moral arbiter, lifestyle coach and window on the world.

"How then," I posed, "will we manage without Oprah as a daily TV reference point? How will we know what to read, buy or think?"

On the other hand, as Oprah walks away, how far is she really walking?

Granted, she'll reside 1,800 miles from Chicago, in Santa Barbara, Calif. But she will not be silent nor invisible. Her 5-month-old cable channel, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, is meant to be a round-the-clock, always-open source of Oprah-nalia, with Winfrey its spiritual curator maintaining a constant presence, even from off-camera.

Since its Jan. 1 sign-on, the network has suffered from lower-than-expected ratings, and, early this month, fired its CEO. But it's just getting started, and, with the end of her syndicated show, Winfrey plans to devote her full energies to OWN.

As one of the network's future offerings she will star on "Oprah's Next Chapter," whose title signals how she views her ambitious new TV venture overall. And though most of OWN's programming won't be hosted by her, everything will be vetted by her to make sure the message fits into her live-your-best-life gospel.

So how much in the world is really changing?

A heart-tugging promo for this week's last three editions of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" taps into the collective memory the audience shares for certain other shows on the occasion of their passing.

Seen in the commercial are Walter Cronkite's last "CBS Evening News" broadcast (March 6, 1981). Mary Richards dimming the lights in the WJM newsroom ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show" finale from March 19, 1977). Johnny Carson's emotional "I bid you a very heartfelt good night," his last moments hosting the "Tonight Show" (May 22, 1992). Sam (Ted Danson) telling a would-be bar patron, "Sorry, we're closed," on the "Cheers" finale (May 20, 1993). A glimpse at the finales of "The Cosby Show" (April 30, 1992) and "M-A-S-H" (Feb. 28, 1983), which was viewed by just under 106 million people, an audience record that stood until the epic New Orleans Saints-Indianapolis Colts clash in the 2010 Super Bowl.

The "Oprah" commercial asks: "Where were you?" And its unspoken but obvious subtext elevates the Winfrey show's exit to the lofty ranks of those TV milestones. You will want to be there (it seems to be saying), gathered with your loved ones in front of the TV, where you are guaranteed an "I-was-there" memory for a lifetime when Oprah says goodbye.

Really?

The episodes airing Monday and Tuesday were taped last week in front of crowd of 13,000 at Chicago's United Center.

Tom Hanks. Michael Jordan. Tom Cruise. Madonna. Stevie Wonder. Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Beyonce. Even Winfrey's longtime but low-profile friend, Stedman Graham, was among the many luminaries on hand for the two-part "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular."

Then Wednesday's show, being kept tight under wraps, is meant as a surprise for the viewers.

Sounds like fun, if you happen to catch it. But after that, you won't have to look hard to find Oprah. She pervades her new network.

The rest of the world? It will carry on as always.

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Online:

http://www.oprah.com

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EDITOR'S NOTE — Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore(at)ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier

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