WHO WILL REPLACE OPRAH?

There has been plenty of speculation on who will replace Oprah Winfrey when she leaves network television on September 9, 2011.  Would it be a powerhouse new daytime star like Katie Couric or Sarah Palin?  Turns out the outcome won’t be nearly as sexy as those predictions.  Apparently the talk show queen’s daytime show will be replaced by shows already on the air.  Rather than take a chance on a new talk show host, many of the stations that carry Oprah’s show will either expand their local newscasts or go with promising sophomore show Dr. Oz, which last season had the highest syndication debut in seven years (since fellow Winfrey spin-off Dr. Phil in 2002).

As for who will succeed Winfrey in terms of cultural significance, the spot appears to be Ellen DeGeneres’ to lose.  A study of 4,175 Winfrey watchers that was conducted by the California-based research firm SmithGeiger revealed that DeGeneres would be their first choice to watch after Oprah leaves, followed by the news and Dr. Oz.

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August 24th, 2010 | Tags: Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey | Category: Daily Blog, Television