Oprah Spin-Off Bites the Dust
Filed under: Recession
The newsstand is getting thinner. Hearst Magazines, which shut down Cosmogirl last month and Quick & Simple over the summer, has decided to fold O at Home, the quarterly extension of O, The Oprah Magazine. According to a Hearst press release at Portfolio (which also let many staffers go last week), the final issue will be winter 2008, on newsstands Nov. 25.
WWD, a Conde Nast title, reported on the bleak outlook at its parent company, as well as offered a roundup of the latest clenching throughout the industry.
"Every publisher is dissecting its cost structure and stable of titles, from Hearst Magazines to Hachette Filipacchi Media and Time Inc. to Rodale. And in recent days, American Express Publishing, whose titles include Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure and Departures, said it would cut 22 jobs, or 5 percent of its workforce. Hearst quietly began going "floor by floor" to cut costs, notably at the upscale Harper's Bazaar and Town & Country."
The past two weeks have been flat-out bad. Culture + Travel announced it would close up shop, and among other Conde Nast news, the majority of the staff at Men's Vogue was re-absorbed into Vogue classic and will now come out twice a year, rather than 10 times a year.
Even the smaller niche magazines are hurting. Gawker reports that the titles at M. Shanken Communications -- the publisher of Cigar Aficionado, Wine Spectator and Food Arts -- lost people, too.
See also: Major Toymaker to Cut 1,000 Jobs
Oprahs Empire
Oprah Winfrey expands her mammoth media presence with a deal to turn the Discovery Health Channel into her very own network, OWN (for The Oprah Winfrey Network). Winfrey and Discovery chief exec David Zaslav made the announcement, Jan. 15.
AP / Harpo Productions
Winfrey will be chairwoman of the network, which she envisions will entertain and inform her loyal fan base "24 hours a day on a platform that goes on forever." OWN launches in 2009. This is of course only the latest addition to Winfrey's media empire.
PRNewsFoto / AP
Television: 'The Oprah Winfrey Show,' which went national in 1986, helped pioneer the tabloid talk show, but by the 1990s, Winfrey dropped the format in lieu of more serious issues.
George Burns, Harpo Studios / AP
Magazines: Besides co-writing five books herself, Oprah has published her own magazine, O, which was called the most successful startup in the industry by FORTUNE Magazine in 2002.
O Magazine
Radio: The talk host expanded her reach to satellite radio in early 2006 when she announced a $55 million deal to start her own channel on XM, called Oprah & Friends. Here, Winfrey is seen with XM CEO, Hugh Panero.
Nasdaq / AP
Books: In 1996, Winfrey began her own book club, aptly titled Oprah's Book Club. Since then, her recommendations automatically top the best-seller lists. One of her picks for 2007, Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road,' is seen above.
George Burns, Harpo Productions / AP
Theater: Winfrey brought 'The Color Purple' to Broadway in 2005 as the show's producer. She was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Sofia in the 1985 film version.
Charles Rex Arbogast, AP
The engine car that keeps the Oprah train chugging along is her production company, Harpo, located in Chicago.
Walter McBride, Retna
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 22)
11-09-2008 @ 3:28PM
Don DeLong said...
There is just two bottom lines to everything Oprah does: Manipulate people into thinking she is something she is not and to make as much money as possible. As long as there are people who compare her to Mother Teresa, she will do well achieving both of those goals.
Reply
11-09-2008 @ 3:46PM
Roseann said...
I cannot tell you how much I agree. Who decided this arrogant, self centered person was God.
11-09-2008 @ 6:28PM
Inez said...
Eat your heart out!!! Your comments shows that you are one of those envious people who can't say or believe anything good about another hard-working, successful person. On the flip side of your words... is Oprah sending someone to the bank to make more LARGE deposits in her account. Ain't that Great!!!
11-09-2008 @ 10:31PM
Curt said...
Right On!!
Why not ask Obama to save your trash?
11-09-2008 @ 9:44PM
Judy said...
Oprah bashers just kill me!
We have all gained so much from her 'enlightenment', but the fact that she is successful - makes uneducated losers just hate her - go figure.
Go back to school and get an education. Focus on something that will culminate in employment in this economy. Get a job and keep it - those who are successful, NEVER bitch about those who are.
You are lazy and hung out with your 'homeys' instead of getting with the books - spending time at the library, your parents are probably to blame for not sitting you down and helping you with your homework - but NOW you see the downhill path you are on, so DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
11-09-2008 @ 9:40PM
catelynnw3 said...
I guess when you start telling people that you are your own God, etc. that's not a good sign. There are so many people who believe she is some sort of a Mother Theresa. Jesus made us righteous because of what He did - we are NOT righteous because of anything we have done! Good works are wonderful, but not the way into heaven. I pray that Oprah gets off her high horse and stops preaching false doctrine to the world!
11-10-2008 @ 12:45AM
Danielle said...
I lost a lot of respect for Oprah during the Obama campaign. The campaign became more about race, color should never have entered into it. She has involved herself in projects that some how vindicate black people. Somebody really needs to give her a history lesson. There were just as many white slaves as there were black. My ancestors (white) were slaves, and came over on ships and they had tattoos on their foreheads, were abused, and degraded. They were servants for white masters. The difference between my family, and perhaps Oprah's is that they moved on. They didn't sit around feeling sorry for themselves because something wasn't handed to them. Oprah would NOT be the icon that she used to be without her white supporters. I am sorry that there were black slaves - but if you look back through history there were black slave owners too. Slavery dates back to the beginning of time and it had nothing to do with the color of the people's skin but rather was the end result of battles. Oprah has lost her objectivity and I hope someday she will get back to being a humanitarian for the greater good of ALL people not just blacks. While it is nice to give service abroad, it would be nice for her to look around the United States (where most of her money has come from) and support some of the causes here.
11-10-2008 @ 2:55PM
Sawfingers said...
I could not have said it better.
11-10-2008 @ 3:41PM
armin said...
More people are finding out who she really is, and her popularity is starting to show it. Even our pastor talked bout how bad she is, she is not at all as good as she wants you to believe
11-10-2008 @ 4:02PM
DG said...
Oprah Mag or Rag? This woman is so full of herself as long as she's surrounded by her cronies.
11-10-2008 @ 4:22PM
Jon said...
I heard the Oprah show itself is ending as well?
http://www.curiousread.com/2008/11/oprah-winfrey-show-may-be-close-to-its.html
Jon
11-10-2008 @ 5:21PM
Moe said...
Amen to that!!!
11-10-2008 @ 7:43PM
M.L. said...
I have to agree with everything Don DeLong just said. I think they give her absolutely too much praise and awe!! She is definitely the "billion dollar baby" manipulating everybody out of a buck!
11-12-2008 @ 6:32AM
Carol said...
I have never flipped through the pages of O magazine because everytime I buy groceries, Oprah is on the front cover. Thank God Martha doesn't do that. Possibly, if she would feature one of her many guests, like Mya Angelo (sp), her magazine would still be on newsstands. That magazine epitomizes her love of self.
11-10-2008 @ 8:10PM
Cindy said...
Well said...........
11-11-2008 @ 4:03PM
nancy murray said...
Gotta say that I haven't watched Oprah in a while. While she is often very philanthropic, and has done some wonderful things, I can't say that she really stands for much. She has certainly attained the American Dream, make millions, which I surely don't begrudge anyone. However, she is totally self-absorbed and rarely lets a guest finish a statement without trying to finish it for them. The Obama drama was way over the top. Who actually gives a crap whose shoulder she cried on or who she voted for. Didn't we all know ahead of time? Her self pontificating is nauseating. She and Gayle need to take another trip and be gone for good.
11-09-2008 @ 3:43PM
Donald said...
Oprah is a Bigot by not having Sarah Palin on her show. Also, I get tired of her claiming to be this wonderful woman and mentor for other women when she has been shacked up with Stepford for years commiting adultry. She has no business telling other people how to run their lives, especially women.
Reply
11-09-2008 @ 4:11PM
car11411los said...
I agree with you 100%. I hope her TV show is NEXT!! She plays the race card when it's convenient for her and her agenda. I pray their is a backlash to her actions and her ratings go down the toilet! Boycott! Boycott! Boycott! "O" stands for Out-of-Here!"
11-09-2008 @ 4:55PM
Susan said...
Adultery is when someone who is married, has sex with someone other than their spouse. Since Opey & Studman are not married to anyone, let 'um bang.
11-09-2008 @ 5:06PM
Kay said...
Donald,
You have no business being judgemental.
Put your nose back on YOUR own face.
Oprah ROCKS !!!!!!!!