The Oprah Winfrey Show

The Oprah Winfrey Show is a syndicated talk-show airing first on the ABC television network and then on CBS in the United States. The first episode aired in 1986 and the host, Oprah Winfrey, is contracted to continue through the 2011-2012 television season, making The Oprah Winfrey Show the longest-running talk show in the world.

In November 2009, Oprah Winfrey announced that the show would be coming to an end on September 9, 2011.

In a call to media analysts on November 7, 2008, Winfrey's business partner David Zaslav suggested that Winfrey will move her syndicated program from CBS to the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011. Winfrey spokesperson Lisa Halliday said that decision is not final.Chicago Tribune: Oprah quitting show in 2011? Business partner says yes, but ... (November 7, 2008)

The Oprah Winfrey Show has served as a springboard for Oprah Winfrey and her media properties, which include O magazine, the Oprah and Friends radio program, and her feature film production company, Harpo Films.

Oprah's Book Club, a periodic feature on The Oprah Winfrey Show, has made a number of its featured authors bestsellers, including Jacquelyn Mitchard, Wally Lamb, Kaye Gibbons, Janet Fitch, and James Frey. Oprah's Book Club has also generated renewed interest in works of classic literature from authors Leo Tolstoy, William Faulkner, Gabriel García Márquez, and others.

Repeat exposure on The Oprah Winfrey Show has led to successful spin-off media careers for Dr. Phil McGraw, Rachael Ray, and Dr. Oz.

From May 5 to May 19, 2009, the show offered a wildly popular free grilled chicken dinner from Kentucky Fried Chicken to everyone who downloaded a coupon off Oprah's website.Oprah: Oprah/KFC Grilled Chicken Meal (May 5, 2009)