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"The Oprah Winfrey Show"
Chicago, IL
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How To Get Tickets:
As
you've probably heard, it's not easy.
The Oprah Winfrey Show generally tapes twice a day on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Usually, you will be asked to
arrive no later that 8 a.m. for the first show and no later than 12
noon for the second show.
The regular production season ó meaning, the period we actually
are taping shows ó generally goes from September to early
December, and again from January to early June. (Unfortunately,
going to The Oprah Winfrey Show is not one of those things
you can do on your summer vacation to Chicago!)
So, if you plan to be in the Chicago area and would like to join our
studio audience, call: 312-591-9222 (Monday through Friday, between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., CT.)
Reservations can be made generally only one month in advance. Topic
information is not released until the day of the show; reservations
are made based on date only. Please be aware that shows may cancel
on occasion. If that should occur, we will do our best to reschedule
you for another show as soon as possible.
If the reservation line is busy, keep trying. There's usually a lull
in calls between 1:30 and 3 p.m. CT. Worst time to call: right after
the show when everybody thinks of it!
Show
Ticket Requirements:
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You must make a
reservation by phone and talk to an audience reservationist in
order to attend a show.
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We accommodate
groups of no more than four people in total. Be prepared to give
the names of the people who will be attending the show with you.
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Reservations can
be made generally only one month in advance.
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You must be at
least 18 years old to attend the show; you will be asked to
present valid photo ID at the door.
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We do allow
persons 16 and 17 years old to attend the show but only if
accompanied by a parent. They must also bring their birth
certificate and a photo ID in order to be admitted. No one under
the age of 16 can attend the show.
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Dates and times of
the shows may vary, and are subject at change at any time. If
you have reservations, you will be notified as soon as possible
of these changes.
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You may attend a
show no more than once every six weeks.
Official
Website
Minimum Age
top
18 (or 16 if accompanied by an adult)
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| Oprah
Winfrey Biography
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Oprah Winfrey has
already left an indelible mark on the face of
television. From her humble beginnings in rural
Mississippi, Oprah's legacy has established her as one
of the most important figures in popular culture. Her
contributions can be felt beyond the world of television
and into areas such as publishing, music, film,
philanthropy, education, health and fitness, and social
awareness. As producer and host of The Oprah Winfrey
Show, Oprah enlightens, entertains and empowers
millions of viewers around the world.
Oprah has been honored with the most prestigious awards
in broadcasting, including the George Foster Peabody
Individual Achievement Award (1996), the IRTS Gold Medal
Award (1996) and the National Academy of Television Arts
& Sciences' Lifetime Achievement Award (1998). In
November 1999, Oprah received one of the publishing
industry's top honors, the National Book Foundation's
50th Anniversary Gold Medal, for her influential
contribution to reading and books. In June 1998, she was
named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th
Century by Time Magazine. In 1997, Oprah was
named Newsweek's most important person in books
and media and TV Guide's "Television
Performer of the Year." She has also received seven
Emmy AwardsÆ for Outstanding Talk Show Host and nine
Emmy AwardsÆ for Outstanding Talk Show.
Oprah is the chairman of Harpo, Inc., Harpo Productions,
Inc., Harpo Films, Inc., Harpo Studios, Inc. and Harpo
Video, Inc. Oprah is one of only three women, including
Lucille Ball and Mary Pickford, to own her own
television and film production studios.
Talk Show Host
Oprah began her broadcasting career at WVOL radio in
Nashville while still in high school. At the age of 19,
she became the youngest person and the first
African-American woman to anchor the news at Nashville's
WTVF-TV. She then moved to Baltimore's WJZ-TV to
co-anchor the six o'clock news and moved on to become
co-host of their local talk show, People Are Talking.
Seven years later in 1984, she relocated to Chicago to
host WLS-TV's morning talk show, AM Chicago,
which became the number one talk show one month after
Oprah began hosting. In less than a year, the show
expanded to one hour and was renamed The Oprah
Winfrey Show. Through Harpo Productions, Inc., Oprah
now produces and hosts The Oprah Winfrey Show,
the highest-rated talk show in television history. It is
seen by 22 million viewers a week in the United States*
and is broadcast in 113 countries. Since entering
syndication in 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show"
has remained the number one talk show for fourteen
consecutive seasons**, receiving 34 Emmy AwardsÆ.
In September 1996, Oprah began Oprah's Book Club,
an on-air reading club designed to get the country
excited about reading. Each of the books selected for Oprah's
Book Club to date has become an instant bestseller.
In September 1997, Oprah launched Oprah's Angel
Network, a campaign encouraging people to open their
hearts a little wider and help those in need. Since its
launch, Oprah's Angel Network has collected over
$3.5 million in spare change to create college
scholarships for students in need and has funded nearly
200 Habitat for Humanity homes. In April 2000, Oprah's
Angel Network began the "Use Your Life
Award," and now gives $100,000 every Monday on The
Oprah Winfrey Show to people who are using their
lives to improve the lives of others.
Oprah viewers can stay connected by visiting either
www.oprah.com or www.oxygen.com on the Web or Oprah
Online on AOL (keyword: Oprah). Together, Oprah.com and
Oprah Online average over 115 million hits monthly. The
combined sites also receive nearly 3,000 emails daily.
Actress
Oprah made her acting debut in 1985 as "Sofia"
in Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple," and
received both an Academy AwardÆ nomination and a Golden
Globe nomination for her efforts. In 1998, Oprah starred
as "Sethe" in the critically acclaimed
"Beloved" based on the Pulitzer PrizeÆ-winning
novel by Toni Morrison.
Oprah has been lauded for her performances in the ABC
made-for-television movies "The Women of Brewster
Place," "There Are No Children Here" and
"Before Women Had Wings" with Ellen Barkin.
Producer
Through Harpo Films, Oprah has a long-term deal with the
ABC Television Network to produce "Oprah Winfrey
Presents" telefilms. Projects under the "Oprah
Winfrey Presents" banner include: "Before
Women Had Wings," adapted from a novel by Connie
May Fowler; the mini-series "The Wedding,"
based on Dorothy West's novel; "David and
Lisa," starring Academy AwardÆ-winner Sidney
Poitier; and the award-winning "Tuesdays With
Morrie," based on the best-selling novel by Mitch
Albom and starring Academy AwardÆ-winner Jack Lemmon
and Emmy AwardÆ-winner Hank Azaria. Both "Before
Women Had Wings" and "The Wedding" were
among the highest-rated, critically acclaimed television
movie broadcasts of the 1997-1998 season. In September
2000, "Tuesdays With Morrie" received four
EmmyÆ Awards - Outstanding Made for Television Movie,
Lead Actor (Jack Lemmon), Supporting Actor (Hank Azaria),
and Single-Camera Picture Editing (Carol Littleton). The
movie has also received awards from the Screen Actors
Guild (Jack Lemmon), Producers Guild of America (Oprah
Winfrey and Kate Forte), and Directors Guild of America
(Mick Jackson).
In addition, Oprah also has an exclusive agreement to
produce feature films for the Walt Disney Motion
Pictures Group. The first of these films was Touchstone
Pictures' "Beloved" in which she also starred.
Magazine Founder and Editorial
Director
In April 2000, Oprah, along with Hearst Magazines,
introduced O, the Oprah Magazine, a monthly
magazine that is the personal-growth guide for the new
century. Oprah's magazine gives confident, smart women
the tools they need to explore and reach for their
dreams, to express their individual style, and to make
choices that will lead to happier and more fulfilled
lives. O, the Oprah Magazine, is another medium
through which Oprah can connect with her viewers and
provide possibilities for transforming their lives.
Oxygen Media
In November 1998, Oprah announced the formation of a
company, Oxygen Media LLC, which includes Harpo Group
LLC, GBL LLC (controlled by Geraldine Laybourne) and CWM
LLC (Carsey-Werner-Mandabach.) Oxygen Media includes a
women's cable network which launched on February 2, 2000
and is integrated with Oxygen's online properties for
women including Oprah.com, ka-Ching, Moms Online and
Thrive Online.
Oprah's first production for Oxygen was "Oprah Goes
Online," a 12-part "course" giving a
step-by-step look at all things online. Oprah was joined
by her friend Gayle King, and millions of women viewing
across the country, to experience first hand the way the
Web will change women's lives.
Educator
In September 1999, Oprah joined Stedman Graham as an
adjunct professor at The J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of
Management at Northwestern University to co-teach
"Dynamics of Leadership." The course
curriculum, developed by professors Winfrey and Graham,
shares insights into how students can cultivate their
own leadership skills and develop an approach to
management, leadership and organizational issues suited
to their individual circumstances. "Dynamics of
Leadership" will be offered at Kellogg again in the
fall of 2000.
Philanthropist
Oprah's commitments extend to her initiation of the
National Child Protection Act in 1991; she testified
before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to establish
a national database of convicted child abusers and on
December 20, 1993, President Clinton signed the national
"Oprah Bill" into law. She has established
scholarships for hundreds of students, and has donated
millions of dollars to higher education institutions,
such as Morehouse College, Spelman College and Tennessee
State University. Oprah also serves as the National
Spokesperson for A Better Chance, an organization that
provides students, predominantly from inner city school
districts, the chance to attend many of the nation's
finest schools.
Source:
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NTI Client Cume
System, Persons 2+, Nov. '99 and Feb., May, July
'00. |
| ** |
Nielsen
Cassandra Ranking Report - Nov. '86 to July '99
and Wrap Sweeps Nov. '99-May '00. DMA HH RTG,
Primary Telecasts. |
text and photos (c) Oprah.com
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