The media mogul Oprah Winfrey will end her iconic daytime talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” in 2011 as she prepares to start a cable channel of her own.

via NYTimes.com.

This had been widely rumored, and perhaps even expected, but the NY Times doesn’t mention specifically that she is moving her show to her new cable network (OWN), the possibility being it might be done for good. However as Robert points out in the comments, that makes no sense.

According to James Hibberd/AP,  Oprah Winfrey’s interview with former vp candidate Sarah Palin on Monday garnered The Oprah Winfrey show its best ratings since a 2007 airing when Oprah had the entire Osmond family on the show. Monday’s “The Oprah Winfrey Show” with Palin drew a 8.7 household rating and 13 share.

The season two premiere of Legend of the Seeker averaged 2.583 million viewers the weekend of November 7-8 with a 1.7 household rating.   By household rating it was ranked tied for 45th out of 129 syndicated shows measured for the week.

The 2.583 million was the average audience, but you might wind up seeing the number 3.528 million thrown around, too.  That’s the gross average audience for the premiere.  Gross average audience is a metric commonly used in syndicated ratings where viewing of repeat broadcasts during the measured period *is* counted. But for apples-to-apples purposes of comparing to other shows you should use the 2.583 million number.

Interesting Variety article about Oprah’s effect on music sales. Similar to her effect on book sales, but no “music club” is planned.

If, as current conventional wisdom maintains, “TV is the new radio” in terms of influencing record sales, then “The Oprah Winfrey Show” is the equivalent of a 100,000-watt Mexican border radio station.

This fall, Winfrey’s popular afternoon talker, which claims an average daily viewership of 6.2 million, played a key role in sending new CD titles to the top slot of the U.S. album charts.

[...]

In mid-October, Canadian vocalist Michael Buble’s album “Crazy Love” debuted at No. 1 with 132,000 copies sold in just three days. His label, Warner Bros., had moved the release up to Oct. 9 to coincide with Buble’s appearance on Winfrey’s telecast.

“Oprah is the one thing everyone wants,” he adds. “If you get that call back from her production people, my God, it’s the Holy Grail.”

via Variety.

My second choice for the headline was “Oprah = 100.000 watt Mexican Border Radio Station”.

I have to admit that my first reaction when I read this was “He’s been on eight years already?”.

Syndicated talk show “Dr. Phil” has been renewed through the 2013-2014 season in 70% of the country, including 20 of the top 25 markets.

The three-year renewal will take “Dr. Phil,” now in its eighth year, through its 12th season.

via THR.com.

Of course not. But I couldn’t pass up this chance to poke fun at the ridiculous press that wants to tie everything that happens to Oprah to her Obama endorsement. As usual, this isn’t about politics, it’s about money!

CBS Television Distribution’s The Oprah Winfrey Show will depart broadcast syndication and move to Winfrey’s new cable network, OWN, when the show’s contract expires in 2011, according to a report published by Deadline Hollywood Daily’s Nikki Finke. That report is in line with what Discovery chief David Zaslav had said nearly one year ago to the day.

On Thursday afternoon executives tied to the show were issuing a round of statements saying nothing has been finalized.

via Broadcasting & Cable.

It’s been a busy day for the syndication market. Fans of The Mentalist no longer have to wonder why NCIS:LA was sold into syndication and their show wasn’t.

According to the pact between TNT and Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution, “Mentalist” will begin running weekly on the cable network in fall 2011, followed by a full-blown launch in 2012.

Neither side would discuss the financials of the deal, but the Simon Baker starrer is said to have fetched from $2.2 million-$2.3 million an episode.

via THR.com

Fastest syndication EVER?

After only seven weeks on the air, syndication rights for NCIS: LA have been bought by USA Network, which has already had a great syndication run with the original NCIS.

According to the Hollywood Reporter,  NCIS: LL Cool J LA is going for roughly $1.9 2.5 million per episode THR updated the story from their original report of 1.9 million).

The unusually quick deal is testament to the popularity of the “NCIS” brand — and the ability for top cable networks to capitalize on crime procedurals in syndication. In its seventh season, “NCIS” has grown to become the most-watched drama series on TV.

Update: Not quite as fast, but The Mentalist has been sold into syndication as well.