Oprah Winfrey The Worlds’ Celebrity

Oprah Winfrey, one of the worlds’ most distinguished media personalities and the host of the ‘Oprah Winfrey Show was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She started her carrier when she was only 17 years old in 1970. She was hired by a local radio station (WVOL) as a newscaster. In 1976, she had an opportunity to host a television chat show, People Are Talking, and A. M. Chicago. Her bold, affectionate style had won her 100,000 more spectators upgrading her show from last to first in the ratings.

Harpo Her brilliant performance as a host made the producer to name the show as Oprah Winfrey Show which was launched in 1986 as a nationwide syndicated program. Oprah show generated high revenue which facilitated Oprah a position to negotiate ownership of the show. Thus she was able to launch her own production company, the Harpo Productions. She is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the company. Its studio is based in Chicago, with additional offices in Los Angeles and California. The long running daytime talk show “Oprah Winfrey show” is Harpo’s biggest success and greatest revenue source; which attracted 22 million U.S. spectators. Ms. Oprah Winfrey is holding 90% of the entire revenue. Harpo group is working in a diversified atmosphere. It is a very mature group with a loyal audience. Currently Harpo is dealing with movie productions, a cable TV, magazines, Radio, and the Website etc. Jeff Jacobs her right hand Jeff Jacobs, 52, is the right hand to Oprah and known to be the power behind the Oparh’s huge success. Jeff previously was a Chicago entertainment lawyer in 1984. It was then Oprah was offered a new contract for which she consulted Jeff for her assistance.

He was the one who advised her to establish her own company instead of working for others, with his advise Oprah established her own production company Harpo (Oprah spelled backwards) in 1986. Jeff Jacob became her strategic advisor and she gave him 5% of the company. Jacobs later became president in 1989, and Oprah increased his percentage from 5% to 10%. (Redbook, 1993) Apart from working as Oprah's strategic advisor, Jacobs serves her very well. Jeff is always available to handle all the jobs other then corporate presidents, and he does it without pay. Oprah Winfrey show

Order custom essay Oprah Winfrey The Worlds’ Celebrity with free plagiarism report

450+ experts on 30 subjects Starting from 3 hours delivery

Get Essay Help

The Oprah show being the core of her business, contributes the largest share of revenue. It contributes more then $300 million every year. It is aired in over 107 countries and still holds No. 1 place in America’s daytime talk shows since over 20 years despite challenges from almost more then 50 rivals. It's a mass-market mega hit that caters to the middle-aged, spectators the advertisers such as Procter & Gamble, Sears, and Wal-Mart. ( Edward Wyatt (2008) Film Oprah apart forms a program host; she also acted in few movies. Some of the films she worked for are: Color Purple (1985), she appeared as Mrs. Thomas (Native Son) in Cinecom, 1986, Herself in Throw Momma from the Train, Orion, 1987, Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones(documentary; also known as Listen Up), Warner Bros in 1990, Sethe in Beloved 1998 (she was also the producer of Beloved). Wallowitch and Ross: This Moment, 1999 (CBS news 2008). In 2005, Harpo Productions released another film Charlotte's Web, Bee Movie (2007). Online Winfrey's company has its own website, provides resources and interactive material regarding Oprah’s shows, Oxygen, acting career, books, magazines, and movies etc.

Oprah also does welfare work through her site. She developed a list of child predators online, which helped police to bring to justice few of them. Apart from that she has been helping different needy organization all around the world through her website as well as all the other media means. Apart form that she has been helping different needy organization all around the world through her website as well as all the other media means. O the magazine Two magazines: O at Home and O, the Oprah Magazine is published by Winfrey.

In 2002 Fortune revealed that O magazine did the most successful start-up business. This magazine alone is earning her revenue of $63,000 US every year. She also coauthored a book, ‘Make the Connection’ in, 1996 Oprah personally does all the delicate operational decisions; she is center of the content. Before O gets printed, she personally goes through every word and studies every picture particularly working on the magazine. The magazine reflects her instinct for balancing peachiness, her desire to bring change in lives of her readers.

It seems she probably knew that balance would sell. ( Mackensie, Susie 2007) O magazine makes average revenue of $63,000 and incline towards brands like Lexus, Donna Karan, and Coach. O is one of the largest selling magazines throughout USA. Harpo films Harpo Inc owns a movie production house “Harpo films”. They have successfully launched award-winning television films like Tuesdays with Morrie and earn Oprah, revenue of around $4 million a year. Band name Oprah's business is Oprah. If she does something as Oprah the person that undermines the trust her customers have in Oprah the persona.

That’s why she is always been careful advocating any idea. Oprah has been very careful about her brand name. Perfume companies, fashion designers, book publishers, and numerous advertisement entrepreneurs persuaded Oprah to license her name for their products. In all these years of Harpo, Oprah made only two alliances in contrast i. e. with King World who is the distributor to her show and with ABC to air her television productions. During the past few years she has, with reluctance, made alliance with Hearst and Oxygen. Employees

Harpo Inc has around 221 staff members (female are in majority), average revenue is 10% to 15% a year, and rating at the top. The average period of 18-year-old Harpo's eleven most senior executives is ten years. Staff gets six weeks' leave yearly at Harpo. Radio A radio channel started 3 years back, Oprah ; Friends, features popular contributors to Oprah’s Show and her Magazine. Oprah and friends gained her a lot of good popularity in the audience. Conclusion Oprah is considered to be the highest paid celebrity in the American entertainment industry.

She makes around $275 million and she is most successful, self-made influential richest black business women in the world (Associated Press CBS News. )She already has a lot of business recourses though, now she has decided to air her own personal television channel in near future. She is involved in a lot of charity works. She is the founder of Family for Better Lives foundation, hope that works good for her as what ever she has started in her life , did a lot better to her then she has ever expected.

Bibliography

1. Associated Press (2005-06-17). "Oprah Tops Powerful Celebs List". CBS News. http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2005/06/16/entertainment/main702512. shtml.
2. Retrieved on 2008-08-25. 2. Mackensie, Susie (2006-03-11). "Woman of mass derision". Guardian Online. http://www. guardian. co. uk/books/2006/mar/11/features. pressandpublishing.
3. Retrieved on 2007-03-12. 3. Edward Wyatt (2008). "A Few Tremors in Oprahland" (in English). The New York Times. http://www. nytimes. com/2008/05/26/business/media/26oprah. html.
4. Retrieved on September 25 2008. 4. Redbook, p. 94; December, 1994, p. 82; August, 1995, p. 74; August, 1996, p. 76; May, 1997, p. 94. September 27, 1993

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Run a free check or have your essay done for you

Check my essay Hire Writer