Oprah Winfrey - The Story of an Entrepreneur

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In 1992, Oprah got engaged to Stedman Graham (Stedman), a former basketball player and a public relations executive, with whom she had been living together since 1986. During the late-1980s and 1990s, Oprah won many awards and garnered recognition for her work in TV and films. In 1994, she was included in 'TV Hall of Fame'. For over a decade, Oprah's talk show, like other talk shows focused on dysfunctional families and their problems. However, in 1994, Oprah announced a change in her program format. She decided to stop the 'dysfunctional group' based shows, and began focusing on 'positive' shows that inspired people to rise above their limitations and achieve their dreams. The aim of this new format was to 'entertain, enlighten and empower' the millions of viewers that watched the show across the world. The new format thus offered direction, advice and help to people through 'entertainment mixed with therapy.' Oprah introduced Dr. Phil McGraw (Dr. Phil, a renowned psychologist) as a weekly guest on the show, to help guests and the audience gain insights into their problems. Thus, while other talk shows continued to focus on entertainment and shock value, Oprah's shows (and her various ventures) helped change lives for the better.

The Operah/Harpo Empire

During the 1990s, Oprah expanded her business into many areas besides the television. She entered various fields such as publishing, music, film, heath and fitness and education. In 1994, Oprah's initiatives for the protection of children against abuse were rewarded when the then US President, Bill Clinton signed the 'Oprah Bill,' a new law designed to protect children against abuse. In 1996, Oprah headed the list of Forbes' highest-paid entertainers with earnings of $171 million, beating even celebrities such as Steven Spielberg, Michael Jackson, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Carrey. In September 1996, Oprah launched 'Oprah's Book Club' on TV, which was aimed at inculcating and encouraging 'reading' among people. 'Oprah's Book Club' was a great success; most of her fans chose to read the books that were selected by Oprah for the Book Club. Reportedly, sales of all the books selected for the club increased substantially (on an average, by 10 times) and found a place in the bestsellers lists. Harpo Films Inc., Oprah's film production division, signed a long term agreement with ABC Television Network in the mid-1990s to produce the 'Oprah Winfrey Presents' series of telefilms. Some of the major projects under the 'Oprah Winfrey Presents’ banner were 'Amy and Isabelle,' 'Tuesdays with Morrie,' 'David and Lisa,' 'The Wedding,' and 'Before Women Had Wings.' Oprah even acted in some of these telefilms (such as 'The Women of Brewster Place,' 'Before Women Had Wings' and 'There Are No Children Here') and recorded critical acclaim for her performance. The telefilms venture met with reasonable success and generated $4 million in revenues in 2001. Oprah also signed an exclusive agreement with the Walt Disney Motion Picture Group in the mid-1990s to produce feature films for Disney. The first film produced by the Harpo group for Disney was Touchstone Pictures' 'Beloved,' in which Oprah played the lead role.

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4] ABC, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Company, is one of the leading broadcasting companies in the US. It broadcasts through a network of more than 230 affiliate stations across the US. It also owns over 60 radio stations and 10 TV stations in all the major markets of the country.
5] ABC, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Company, is one of the leading broadcasting companies in the US. It broadcasts through a network of more than 230 affiliate stations across the US. It also owns over 60 radio stations and 10 TV stations in all the major markets of the country.

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