Free Republic

Discovery Communications (DISCA) Q4 2011 Earnings Call February 16, 2012 8:30 AM ET Operator Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Fourth Quarter 2011 Discovery Communications, Incorporated Earnings Conference Call. -snip- Richard Greenfield - BTIG, LLC, Research Division A couple of questions. The first one, David, you definitely sounded more upbeat about OWN, but this is a channel that's had pretty constant management of people over the last couple of years, and I think consumers are still struggling to even know the channel that OWN is actually on. I was just wondering from just an agreement standpoint what...

International talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has issued an apology for breaking TV ratings rules and urging fans to watch her Oprah's Next Chapter show instead of the Grammy Awards, according to reports. Oprah invited followers to turn off music's big night and switch to her network, OWN, on Twitter. "Everyone who can please turn to OWN, especially if u have a Nielsen box (sic). Commercial Grammy people..you can turn to Own," she tweeted.

Oprah Winfrey issued an apology on Monday for asking viewers with a Nielsen box to tune into OWN. "Every1 who can please turn to OWN especially if u have a Nielsen box," she wrote via Twitter on Sunday, just as the Grammy Awards telecast began opposite Oprah's Next Chapter. She later added, "Commercial Grammy people..u can turn to OWN."

Oprah Winfrey may be feeling the pressure over her fledgling network’s sputtering ratings. A tweet from the talk show host’s Twitter account asked followers, “Every 1 who can please turn to OWN especially if u have a Nielsen box,” in what seems to be a plea to boost ratings numbers. Winfrey publically apologized for the tweet, which was subsequently deleted — after being informed that the move may have violated Nielsen policy prohibiting networks from influencing ratings. “I removed the tweet at the request of Nielsen,” Winfrey said in a statement Monday. “ I intended no harm and apologize for...

Procter & Gamble Co. reported a $1.69 billion profit in its fiscal second quarter of 2011, a 49 percent decline from the same quarter a year ago.

JAIPUR, India (AP) -- Oprah Winfrey says she is confident that President Barack Obama will win another four-year term in this year's U.S. election. The talk show host was addressing a literary festival Sunday in the northwestern Indian town of Jaipur. Winfrey praised Obama's handling of the presidency. She said his next four years would be even more successful, with people able to get back to work. Winfrey backed Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign in her first-ever political endorsement. She was among the biggest crowd pullers at the annual Jaipur Literary Festival, which brings together top writers, poets and...

Oprah Winfrey explains there's no reason for her to endorse Pres. Obama because everyone know who he is. VIDEO

Oprah Winfrey tells CNN she still supports President Obama, however she will not do a large endorsement event like she did during the 2008 campaign cycle. "I don't need to endorse him because I am a 100% supporter him of and I've already endorsed him. And I've already, you know -- everybody always asks me 'Are you going to do what you did in 2008?' What I did in 2008, I did because people really didn't know -- my friends didn't even know who he was at the time," Oprah Winfrey told CNN. "They were like 'Who's this guy? You...

OPRAH WINFREY dissed by BARBRA STREISAND and talk show titan is more than miffed --As OWN just can’t get NO respect! Barbra Streisand was so petrified that Oprah would pester her to appear on her troubled network, she crossed the TV titan off the guest list for a black-tie gala. Insiders say Oprah was left out in the cold when Barbra’s good friend, world renowned fashion designer Donna Karan, was honored at the Dream Foundation’s annual gala fundraiser – just a stone’s throw from Oprah’s sprawling Montecito, Calif., estate. “When Donna was drawingup the invite list, she put Oprah at...

THE OFFICE OF PROPHET IS ABOUT TO RETURN TO THE CHURCH BODY WORLDWIDE ! The Office of Prophet is about to return , This is not from a person but from a yearn , From the calling of many for my voice to speak out , True guidance directly into My House , For many confusion has been the stage , But now I will speak both in grace and in rage , For judgement is here in My house , Holiness received and strange fire cast out , The true and faithful shall remain and be renewed , But...

O don’t know cable. Talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey is losing money, viewers, executives — and even her best friend, Gayle King, who bolted this week — in her battle to make OWN Network a relevant programming destination. Winfrey intended to “enlighten” and “inspire” her loyal fan base when transitioning from network TV to cable, but all she’s done is alienate herself, posing as a philosopher rather than a journalist.

Accused White House shooter Oscar Ortega Hernández recorded a TV pitch to Oprah Winfrey two months ago in which he declared himself to be "the modern day Jesus Christ." Who is Oscar Ortega Hernández? The 21-year-old asked an Idaho State University student to tape the segment. His girlfriend handed the tape over to the Secret Service on Tuesday."You see Oprah, there is still so much more that God needs me to express to the world. It's not just a coincidence that I look like Jesus. I am the modern day Jesus Christ that you all have been waiting for," he...

According to Forbes, Oprah Winfrey earned approximately $290 million in 2010. That is, quite possibly, the highest income earned by any American in 2010. Going by data from the Social Security Administration, only 81 people in the United States had wage or salary income above $50 million in 2010. Since we can safely assume that most of those individuals at this highest end of the income spectrum would be clustered near the $50,000,000 mark, the odds that Oprah Winfrey actually earned the highest income of anyone in the U.S. in 2010 are very good. It's all the more remarkable because...

Rosie O'Donnell's talk show on OWN continues its downward spiral. "The Rosie Show" averaged only 229,000 viewers at 7 p.m. in its second full week last week (Oct. 17-21), down from the tepid 321,000 viewership average at 7 p.m. in its inaugural week. At 11 p.m., when the show's repeated, it averaged 119,000 viewers last week (compared to 143,000 viewers at midnight in its first week). Oprah Winfrey's "Oprah's Lifeclass," which follows "The Rosie Show" at 8 p.m., fared better than its lead-in, averaging 301,000 viewers last week (down from 310,000 in its first week). In its midnight repeat, "Lifeclass"...

FAIRFIELD, Iowa (AP) - Oprah Winfrey meditated with more than 400 women in southeastern Iowa and also talked to students about her spiritual journey. Suzanne Stryker says she was among the women participating in the transcendental meditation Wednesday at the Maharishi School in Fairfield. She says no one in the meditation group knew the TV personality was going to be there until Winfrey, who heads the OWN television network, arrived with a film crew. The private Maharishi School specializes in "consciousness-based education" for kindergarten through 12th grade.

So, Rosie O'Donnell must've packed 'em in for the rollout of her new, Oprah Winfrey-approved talk show, right? Well, er, no. Monday's 7 p.m. premiere of "The Rosie Show" on OWN, with first guest Russell Brand, drew a very modest 497,000 total viewers, according to Nielsen. It's O'Donnell's first talk show since she left ABC's "The View" in 2007. At 8 p.m., "Oprah's Lifeclass" -- with OWN boss Winfrey discussing insights learned over her years as a talk host -- opened even worse, with just 333,000 viewers. [Snip] What did you think of "The Rosie Show"? Will you watch...

AMANDA KNOX ACQUITTED, TO BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY

Jesus Christ is considered the most important and central figure in all of history for many. Yet in her debut novel, Kristen Wolf turns the biblical portrayal of the Messiah on its head by portraying Jesus as a woman. The Way, which was released in July but is noted in the September 2011 issue of The Oprah Magazine as a “Title to Pick Up Now,” transports its readers back to ancient Palestine where a young girl, Anna, struggles to comprehend her purpose in a male-dominated society. After she witnesses the brutal murder of a woman in her town, and her...

Oprah Winfrey is in need of an Internet intervention. The talk show queen plans to huddle with top tech players next week to gin up some ideas for reviving her flagship site, Oprah.com, whose traffic has plummeted since her daytime talk show ended in May, The Post has learned.

Oprah Winfrey, TV’s greatest hit-maker, is counting on Rosie O’Donnell to save her struggling cable network. OWN -- which launched New Year’s Day to un-Oprah-like ratings -- has already burned through more than $150 million in start-up money without producing a single hit show. “There is pressure,” says Debra Birnbaum, editor-in-chief of TV Guide magazine, “because clearly this is what OWN is putting all of its emphasis on for the new season. “They have to figure out a way to get eyeballs to that network.” Can the stand-up comic -- who will broadcast from Oprah’s old Chicago studio beginning in...

P&G is, by far, the biggest sponsor of the Oprah Winfrey Network, having signed a 3-year contract for $100M. These are some of P&G's biggest brands, most with sales of over $1 billion per year. Not all of these brands are advertised on Oprah, but we can boycott all of them, which gives us more leverage. Go to the link at the bottom of the page for more info on Oprah's sponsors. Swiffer, Tide, CoverGirl and Pantene are most advertised on OWN. You can contact P&G at this link and let them know that you are boycotting them: Proctor &...

A new video of Philadelphia street attacks has surfaced—and this time the teen perps are students from a charter school that received a $1 million donation from Oprah Winfrey, according to Fox 29, which obtained the footage. Caught On Tape: Philadelphia Teen Mob Attack: MyFoxPHILLY.comThe incident occurred July 29—the same day flash mob attacks took place in another section of the city—just blocks from Mastery Charter High School. Students in the video face expulsion or suspension, school officials wrote in a letter to residents in the area where the attack took place. Sources told Fox 29 that man attacked in...

Oprah Winfrey, one of Barack Obama’s most potent allies in 2008, is ready for Round Two. Winfrey, who is beginning a new chapter in life following the sunset of her monster-hit show, told POLITICO she would be “happy to be of service” to Obama for his reelection campaign. “I supported Barack Obama in 2008 because I believed then as I do now that he is the right man for the job,” Winfrey said in a statement. “I wanted to share my enthusiasm for his candidacy in hopes that others would see what I saw in him.” “As for 2012,” Winfrey...

Winfrey, who is beginning a new chapter in life following the sunset of her monster-hit show, told POLITICO she would be “happy to be of service” to Obama for his reelection campaign. “I supported Barack Obama in 2008 because I believed then as I do now that he is the right man for the job,” Winfrey said in a statement. “I wanted to share my enthusiasm for his candidacy in hopes that others would see what I saw in him.”

Whatever happens to Warren Jeff -- the media Is already guilty by Mike Watkiss azfamily.com Posted on July 31, 2011 at 4:53 PM Updated yesterday at 4:54 PM SAN ANGELO, Texas - The story of Warren Jeffs and polygamy in America did not start when Texas Rangers raided the YFZ Ranch and it will not end with Mr. Jeffs' trial here in San Angelo. The truth is, the history is long and the stories plentiful enough to fill-up libraries. But listening to many of the talking heads on the networks and cable shows these days, you would think that they...

Just two months ago, she accused her mother of horrific abuse in an emotional outpouring on American TV. Her late mother, Susan Barrantes, regularly beat her, the Duchess of York alleged during her reality show Finding Sarah. 'When she used to hit me because I didn't sit on my potty or wouldn't eat, a little vein would come up on the centre of my head near my red hair,' she said, adding that her mother called it the 'sign of the devil' and would shout, 'I'm going to beat that devil out!'

Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey are teaming up to promote a new show on Oprah's OWN network simply titled "The Rosie Show." Canoe reports that the announcement was made during Winfrey's surprise visit to the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills earlier today.

Chalk up two more gut- punches for Oprah Winfrey and her staggering OWN cable network. Following news that Jenny McCarthy has taken her planned Harpo-produced talk show elsewhere -- possibly to NBC -- comes word that oprah.com, Winfrey's main contribution to OWN, has lost half its readership since "Oprah" left the air in May. Oprah.com, which Winfrey gave to Discovery Communications as her half of their partnership in starting OWN, was down nearly 50 percent in site visits last month, according to siteanalytics.compete.com.

A new FaceBook group has been started to organize a boycott of advertisers on the Oprah Winfrey Network, due to her recent political support of Barack Obama. Click the source URL to go to the group. A list of advertisers is posted at this page: http://stopobamanowsd.wordpress.com/oprahs-advertisers/

With ratings on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network sagging, the top brass at Hearst must be worried about the impact on the talk-show queen's eponymous magazine. O, the Oprah Magazine -- the second-most profitable Hearst title behind Cosmopolitan -- has been putting up less-than-impressive ad sales figures in recent months. According to one former Hearst insider, "I think that the Oprah brand has gotten slightly weaker. Ratings are down significantly for the new network, and there is a sense some of the magic is gone." Most of the magazine publishing world had a dismal August, with ad sales down 7 percent...

Call off the search at American golf courses everywhere for the murderer of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. According to the National Enquirer and reported in the Daily Mail, OJ Simpson has admitted to the murders and will do so again in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey — and will claim self-defense, if the report is accurate: O.J Simpson has confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he murdered his former wife, it has been reported. The talk show host made headlines recently saying that one of her regrets was never having got the shamed former sportsman to confess to...

Has O.J. Simpson confessed murder to Oprah? Huge TV interview planned in which convict 'will admit he killed Nicole in self-defence as she pulled a knife on him' O.J Simpson has confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he murdered his former wife, it has been reported. The talk show host made headlines recently saying that one of her regrets was never having got the shamed former sportsman to confess to the killing. And it appears her wish may well have come true with reports Simpson has already told one of her producers in an interview from jail that he knifed ex-wife...

Oprah Winfrey's six-month-old network OWN was down 24 percent in adult viewership in May, compared to the May 2010 ratings of Discovery Health, which OWN replaced, according to TVbytheNumbers. Its numbers were down in demographics versus Discovery Health's May '10 ratings across the board. In women 18-34, the drop was 24 percent. For women 18-49, it was 19 percent. In women 24-54, likely its target demo, it was down 17 percent. And in adults 18-49, it was down a whopping 30 percent. Oprah replaces OWN CEOAlmost from the time of its January 1 debut, OWN has struggled to even match...

Oprah Winfrey, God and gays by Kathleen Gilbert Fri May 27 4:02 PM EST May 26, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Oprah Winfrey, the undisputed queen of daytime TV and popular spirituality, signed off her show after 25 years with a shout-out to both Jesus Christ and the homosexual culture. The farewell episode was appropriate for the woman whose remarkable emotional genius captured a large audience, but whose pseudo-Christian philosophy proved a source of confusion and frustration for conservative Christian America. While apparently espousing Christianity, Winfrey has also promoted New Age spirituality and homosexuality, and sided with the abortion lobby. During...

http://theknightshift.blogspot.com/2011/05/oprah-winfrey-show-ends-today.html

In honor of Oprah's final show. Actress and comedienne Debra Wilson delivers an absolutely spectacular performance. Courtesy MADtv. This episode originally aired in the spring of 2003. Enjoy!

Oprah Winfrey ended her famous talk show Wednesday by telling her viewers of 25 years that they weren't saying goodbye. "I won't say goodbye, I'll just say until we meet again," Winfrey said. She hugged and kissed her longtime partner Stedman Graham and shook hands with audience members before walking through the halls of Harpo Studios in Chicago, hugging and crying with her staff. Winfrey shouted "We did it!" The last shot of the finale showed Winfrey walking away with her cocker spaniel, Sadie.

Talk show pioneer. Best selling author. Incredibly successful business woman. Actress. Philanthropist. Billionaire. "Most influential woman in the world." Oprah Winfrey, the King Midas of her day, is ending her 25-year, multi-award-winning talk show this May, signaling the end of a staple in 21st century television. But amid all the fawning retrospectives and misty tributes, it's important to remember just who Oprah is, the biased viewpoint she represents and the damage she's done to popular culture.

CHICAGO (AP) - Oprah Winfrey has received a standing ovation from thousands of her fans packed in Chicago's United Center for a farewell double-taping of her talk show promised to showcase Hollywood's most famous celebrities.

NBA MVP Derrick Rose might be big in Chicago, but he’s no match for Oprah Winfrey. The daytime talk-show queen apparently isn’t shy about throwing around her ample influence when she needs to — even when it concerns the NBA playoffs. The Miami Herald reports that Winfrey could undermine the start of the Eastern Conference playoffs if Miami and Chicago win their series in six games or less. If that happens, the Herald reports that the NBA already has notified several parties that Game 1 of a potential Eastern Conference Finals series would move from Monday night to Sunday night....

Discovery Communications and Oprah Winfrey have pushed out Christina Norman as chief executive of OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, after a tough start for the five-month old cable network. Discovery Chief Operating Officer Peter Ligouri will take over from Norman on an interim basis, in addition to his current role. OWN, which launched in the United States on January 1, has struggled to win ratings in its first five months.

Oprah Winfrey taped her first joint interview since 2006 with President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama last week. A major coup -- until President Obama announced Sunday that U.S. Navy Seals had killed Osama Bin Laden. "Trying to decide what to do about tomorrow's show with prez that was taped last week. Show will feel dated because we taped last week. Not even a hint of Osama's demise," Winfrey Tweeted Sunday night. In the end, the show aired uncut without Winfrey explaining the turn of events since it was taped last Wednesday. The phrase "previously recorded" flashed across the screen...

Well, this beats all, doesn't it? Oprah Winfrey trumps the justice system. A potential juror on the former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich corruption trial got out of jury duty. Her reason? She has tickets to the taping of the final "Oprah Winfrey Show," reports Chicago radio station WBEZ.

In a press conference announcing the release of his long form birth certificate, Obama denounced the “silliness,” the “sideshows and carnival barkers” that forced him to release a completely unremarkable document after years of speculation on the issue had metastasized into a political phenomenon he could no longer ignore. “We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do. We’ve got big problems to solve,” the president said. Minutes later, he boarded a helicopter, bound for Chicago where he will interview with Oprah, the queen of daytime TV...

He should have laid on the sarcasm a bit thicker. Some people will take him seriously and soon this too will be part of Birther lore. “He said he remembers his birth. No one remembers their birth.” I’m mildly surprised that Obama or one of his surrogates hasn’t yet pointed out the endless ways in which Trump has strayed from conservative orthodoxy. They love to tweak Huntsman that way by touting his loyal diplomatic service to the administration, knowing that it’ll turn Republican voters against him. But then, electorally, that makes sense: They don’t want to face a candidate like...

In a press conference announcing the release of his long form birth certificate, Obama denounced the “silliness,” the “sideshows and carnival barkers” that forced him to release a completely unremarkable document after years of speculation on the issue had metastasized into a political phenomenon he could no longer ignore. “We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do. We’ve got big problems to solve,” the president said. Minutes later, he boarded a helicopter, bound for Chicago where he will interview with Oprah, the queen of daytime TV...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 26, 2011 DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2011 In the morning, the President will travel to Chicago, Illinois. The departure from the South Lawn and the arrival at Chicago O’Hare International Airport are open press. In the afternoon, the President and the First Lady will tape an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show. There will be a stills only pool spray. Later in the afternoon, the President will travel to New York, New York. The departure from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and the arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport are open...

The scoop from Washington Why Obama, Michelle, are Oprah show guests on Wednesday By Lynn Sweet on April 25, 2011 WASHINGTON--President Obama and First Lady Michelle fly to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon to tape an Oprah Winfrey show, and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked Monday why the First Couple agreed to the interview. "Her show is coming to a conclusion of a -- of a terrific run," said Carney of Winfrey's decision to fold the show this year after 25 years. "And I think, as you know, he considers Oprah a friend and he looks forward to...

Just a quick reminder so you won't wonder what's jacking up the traffic in NYC next Wednesday:From White House spox Jay Carney: "On Wednesday, the President and the First Lady will travel to Chicago to tape an episode of the 'Oprah Winfrey Show.' The President will then travel to New York to deliver remarks at two DNC events." As you know, Winfrey -- whose influence in the media world absolutely can't be underestimated -- has been a big proponent of President Obama and his policies. Michelle Obama appeared on Winfrey's program in January. A report earlier this month suggested the...

First Lady Michelle Obama and media mogul Oprah Winfrey reportedly despise each other. Rumor has it that the feud began when Michelle Obama became jealous of Oprah "for having [her] hubby's ear." But now, she wants Oprah to publicly endorse Barack Obama's bid for re-election in order to "rally the female vote he needs to win a second term." But it doesn't look like that's going to happen. “Oprah bluntly told Michelle there’s a problem," reports an inside source, "and it’s business, not personal. Oprah’s convinced that her original public endorsement caused the widely reported erosion in her ratings. Now...