Question of the Day: Why Are Oprah's Ratings Down?
Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at 11:00AM 
The Queen of Day Time Talk has taken some hits lately on everything from her school in South Africa to her weight to her endorsement of President Obama in 2008 to her love for all things "New Age-y," but the latest trend in THE END OF OPRAH meme involves her ratings, which have slid by seven percent this year.
From NY Times' Media Decoder blog:
The Associated Press reported yesterday that the ratings for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” were down 7 percent last year, understandable against a backdrop of atomizing audiences, but not something you tend to hear about the invincible Ms. Winfrey. The A.P. points out that other daytimers like Jerry Springer and Martha Stewart are down double digits, which is a little hard to figure given that so many Americans are stuck at home on their couch without a job. But Ms. Winfrey has always managed to defy larger trends, so she is opening her 24th season with a Whitney Houston exclusive and a return of Dr. Phil after seven years. Still, she may be up against some self-created turbulence, according to the A.P.
From the Associated Press:
By endorsing Barack Obama and campaigning for him, she shucked her apolitical image. Winfrey’s book club selection of Eckhart Tolle’s New Age religion book ”A New Earth” angered some conservative Christians — even though Winfrey’s producer said Winfrey was careful not to push Tolle’s views on viewers through the television show.”
But is Oprah really paying a price for supporting Barack Obama for prez OR is this just part of the natural waning cycle for a show that has been on the air since I was in elementary school? TV By the Numbers shot the Oprah's decline due to politics, controversies theory in the foot by pointing out that all daytime shows are down, many in the double-digits and that they couldn't find any conclusive evidence that Oprah's political views caused it.
(W)henever we looked at it, we couldn’t come up with anything to actually support the case. At least unless we could somehow attribute decreases with Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune to Oprah’s endorsement of Obama too.
It's true that some of Oprah's audience was offended by her endorsement of Obama, but it's also true that people are ALWAYS trying to predict the demise of Oprah. It's practically a sport for some people. But no matter what the prognosticators say, Oprah Winfrey has remained successful, adaptable and resilient. Love her or hate her, Oprah doesn't seem to be going anywhere and if she invited me or any other blogger/writer/author on the show tomorrow we would break our necks and knock down our own mamas to get some of that Oprah seal of approval.
But what do you think? Did Oprah's politics hurt her or is the media making much ado about nothing?
Side note: With unemployment up you'd think MORE people would be watching daytime TV, but considering how their homes keep getting foreclosed on ... maybe not.
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Reader Comments (40)
Maybe people are just getting tired of TV all together... Maybe people can't afford cable.... Maybe they are blogging on line and watching shows online???? any data on how often these shows are watched online? I watch over half of all my "TV" on line and I spend a lot more time online watching non-TV programing on line.. I mean there are only so many hours in the day.
Maybe because Oprah sells a lifestyle that people can't afford right now.
7% when other folk are down double digits?
Talk show ratings are down across the board.
This is a non-story.
Because Oprah has always been a "Good Nigger". With her overwhelming support of Presisdent Obama, the racists that had supported her proir cannot abide by her overt behavior. They now support "The View" with their little devil incarnate, Elizabeth Hasselback, spitting out propaganda and babies. That wasn't nice was it?
I don't think politics have anything to do with her ratings. It's just the natural ebb and flow of TV-dom. I have found the topics on Oprah a bit boring this past year and gee whiz, why is she shoving Dr. Oz and that decorator guy down on throat. BORING!
I don’t think much of this debate. I think people are waiting for her to fall so any slight indication of it makes them excited. But I also I see Serenity’s point. Oprah’s always been ‘safe’, now some people are starting to re-think that notion.
Sorry, meant to way . . ."why is shoving Dr. Oz and that decorator guy down our throats."
Say...not way...I'm going back to bed!
Two things had me flipping Ms. Oprah to OFF: The new age-y Eckhart Tolle discover your inner "chi" vibe she started rocking. Second was that the show was more and more about Oprah and her wonderful life. Specifically I recall her doing a show on parenting and in the middle of one young mother's revelation, she said - Yes, I do that with my dogs all the time. There was an audible (and awkward pause) which she missed as she launched into the story about her dogs. But everyone else was thinking, did she just compare child-rearing to owning pets?! It was symptomatic of a larger issue.
On a related note, I watched part one of the Whitney chat, riveting stuff even if I don't 100% buy what Whitney is selling.
I like most of Oprah's shows, however the new age programming is just getting kind of boring. The only other reason I could think that people may not be watching her show is because she may not always be able to relate w/ the lives of her viewers. Sometimes when she does episodes about affordable fashion or affordable anything it never resonates with me...I'm sorry, but I don't consider spending $120 on a pair of jeans affordable at all. But maybe that's just me.
Yeah, I think the article made too much of a big deal over the relatively small ratings decline.
I stopped watching Oprah a long time ago because she stopped knowing how to relate to Black women in general.
I haven't watched Oprah in years, dare I say in over a decade. No, I don't think her Obama support affected her ratings overall. I think she's losing (or has lost) her ability to relate to regular people. Plus, she's got her hands in everything so she's everywhere and she's got her friends (Gayle, Phil, that chef, etc.) everywhere.
I remember listening to her on her XM station when she had a dream interpreter as a guest. She told the person about her dream of building the African school and the girls who were summoning her in her dream. She then began to interpret what it meant without any input from her guest. When the guest was able to chime in, he was like, um, no lady O, you're dream didn't really signify what you think it signifies. But being the big O she insisted that it did. It was a little irritating b/c there was no need to even have a guest if you don't let them speak.
The New Age whackiness probably turned off more folks than Obama. The latter was nothing. Drop in the bucket.
She's just become a self-parody. Tired. Irony despite the artificiality that her opening show is the Whtiney stuff...
http://natturnersrevenge.blogspot.com/2009/09/crack-is-still-whack-oprah-enablers.html
I think that Oprah ratings have dropped because it is the natural waning cycle. Oprah is not perfect she can be a little bossy among other things but I will always watch her and respect her. She has done some amazing things for people and to be as successful as she is coming from her background is admirable. I liked the Eckhart Tolle book. It may sound corny to some but I look at life in a whole new way after reading that book. It's a really good read. I agree with the snob Oprah is going no where.
I think pretty much everyone hit it on the head why Oprah is slowly declining.
1) Her show is 24 years old. It's coming to the end of its relevance and she's pretty much covered every subject evar!
2) She is no longer apolitical. She supported Obama and then saw some of her numbers shift. Many white women were angry because she didn't suport Hillary.
3) Her show is boring. The highlights now about her show are the Oprah's fave shows and the interview she just did with Whitney. I mean really, this show isn't interesting. Oh the other one that was interesting was when she had the doctor on there talking about explaining sexuality to teens. That was interesting but she has no shock value, she pretty much caters to upper middle class folks and her interviewing style is no longer fascinating.
But the reality is that ain't no one getting rid of Oprah but Oprah. If she didn't take herself out of the Daytime Emmy awards she would still win.
What I hope is that in her last seasons she starts getting madd controversial...doing some, "you are not the baby's father" type stuff! *lol* J/K
1. Oprah has been around forever. People may just be tired of watching her.
2. People are using the internet more than ever - might be catching her info online on her website or other sites instead of on tv.
3. Main reason I don't watch her as much any more is because she interrupts people so much when she interviews them that it is beyond rude. She rarely lets people finish their thoughts before she jumps in with her opinion on the topic.
This is pretty much a non-story. Everyone ratings ared down. Its down in the single digits while everyone else is in the double digits. and yea its true some people who didn't like the fact that she became unsafe and endorsed Obama might have stop watching but much of its ado about nothing imo.
Growing up in Chicago, I remember Oprah before she even had her own show...it was AM Chicago or something like that. Anyway after 24 years frankly I think she is boring, I have not watched her with any regularity since the mid 1990's, Whenever I have turned her on in the past few years, frankly she is boring and like others have stated I feel like she has lost her ability to relate to regular folks...we know she rarely relates to Black folks. I'd almost whether watch Dr Phil over her and I really don't care for him either. Nah, after 24 years maybe its time to retire.
In the last 12months, the 401K tanked, the stock portfolio is worthless, Billy started college, Dad got furloughed by the state, the mortgage arm adjusted, and Suzy moved back in with her family after the plant shut down.
Who has time for Oprah?!
Mom had to go back to work
Oprah goes overboard with the new age crap especially when it's obvious that she doesn't live her life that way. She is huge and still obviously has lots of issues. She also caters to the suburban white woman too much. But she knows where the money is. She can't ride on top forever. Ellen and Tyra are good shows too, so they need their time.
I have never watched Oprah on a regular basis. She needs to have someone on her show that I'd like to see give and interview. Otherwise I don't tune in. I suspect that there are people who may just not be interested in what she is.
"She also caters to the suburban white woman too much."
Shukura, I agree. Oprah also doesn't do much for younger female (under 35) demographic.
A Black woman with no husbandand kids can't teach Black people nothing. When will you people ever learn! Her ratings are dropping because advertisers are obviously playing with her numbers. America feels she started this stuff with Obama and now she's feeling the repercussions from her sponsors. She is not the example of a successful Black woman that I want my daughter looking up to. Money ain't everything, people!
I prefer her magazine to her show, which is beyond boring; it's difficult for me to sit for an hour and listen to a know-it-all. Her magazine has good writers, although her so-called shopping bargains are probably targeted to women in her income bracket. I, too, do not think that a pair of $120 jeans is a bargain - I'm trying to find an entire outfit for that much!