Winfrey announces end of 'Oprah'

November 22, 2009

Oprah Winfrey has announced that she will retire from her talk show on September 9, 2011, during season 25. Winfrey made the announcement on Friday's broadcast of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Suppressing tears, she explained that careful thought and prayer had gone into her decision. "Twenty-five years feels right in my bones and feels right in my spirit", she told her audience.

The Oprah Winfrey Show was first televised on September 8, 1986. For the first ten years she competed with other talk shows by discussing relationships and parallel subjects. In the late 1990s her show changed focus to incorporate stories relating to spirituality and human interest.

Winfrey has had lasting effects on the city of Chicago, Illinois. The surrounding neighborhood of Harpo Productions was rundown prior to the company's success. Chicago residents have expressed concern over what would occur if Winfrey were to leave. According to the Associated Press, citizens view The Oprah Winfrey Show as, "a reminder of what has been, and what could be lost."

News sources speculate that Winfrey will air a replacement on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011.