I think she did say some hard truths. The fact of the matter is that Oprah is a businesswoman. She is looking to make good sound business decisions and taking on the soaps is not a good business choice for her. She knows the truth is in the numbers and she’s absolutely right when she says soaps don’t have the numbers anymore. Their desire for longevity has greatly diminished the ability of the soaps to evolve into worthwhile competitors in an ever expanding broadcast world. Many people have stopped watching soaps because there are so many more appealing choices out… Read more »

On the business side of things, Oprah has made some valid points, however, the way ratings are calculated for daytime audiences are not reflective of how many people actually watch their shows. They do not take into account the number of people who dvr their shows and watch in the evening or wait until the weekends when their time is free. They also do not take into account the number of folks who are watching via the internet. I personally kept up with my shows via Youtube, prior to ABC offering their shows for free online. How many more people… Read more »

Ah, but one of her points is that “there just aren’t enough people who are at home in the daytime to watch them.” True. The current economy warrants many people to be working those hours. But the reality is, if she were to take on those soaps on OWN, she could air them at later hours in the day. I bet any serial on at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm would get double the ratings of an afternoon airing. Not to mention since it would be on basic cable, the story lines could be a bit more realistic instead desperately trying to… Read more »

I would like to remind Oprah that she would not be leaving broadcast tv as rich as she is if it were not for these 2 now cancelled soaps because her show follows these soaps on many abc stations & it is only because she has had such a huge lead in from them that has allowed her to remain on tv as long as she has!

I respect that she has to do what she feels is good for her business, but the truth is that her feelings regarding the state of the genre is her opinion. It is nothing more than that. There are a lot of industry people that seem to feel that if there were better measures for ratings that the soaps are doing much better than what is being demonstrated. In addition, there is something to be said for having consistent, loyal viewers. Oprah is not going to support scripted television. She has made her living with talk show and reality television.… Read more »

I think she flaked out! I have been a long time supporter of Oprah-never again!

Oprah’s lack of imagination is astounding.

I certainly will not be watching the new OWN network.

There was enough of us asking for help that she addressed it in a video. she wouldn’t do that for 5 fan responses, that alone shows theres a passionate audience. OLTL and AMC aren’t perfect as they are, they need work and she could have taken on a challenge of reworking the shows or one of them. I don’t understand people who say good drama is a thing of the past, look at primetime..its not. We need help not just keeping our shows on air but then making them better. I’m not saying she’s wrong to do whatever she wants… Read more »

ok and also why even air anything during the day…why not just put on dead air since “no one” watches. If they counted DVR recordings I would bet that more people record soaps than game or talk shows.

Frankly I think Oprah’s time has come. She’s made a big deal about the Oprah Show ending, but she’s not going anywhere. I don’t feel it’s up to her to save the soaps , but it sure gave her another un-needed ego boost, as if she needs anymore.

Ratings are down for ALL shows in daytime because people are working and because viewers are divided among the many cable stations. By Oprah’s reasoning, there shouldn’t be broadcast television during the day, if the ratings are low. Ratings are not really the issue. The issue is whether or not a show can generate revenue. Soaps do generate revenue but less than reality programming because soaps cost more to produce. Apparently, it isn’t enough to break even or generate a small profit on a show. Network executives are looking to maximize profits. They will simply produce what generates the most… Read more »

What a load of crap! If there aren’t enough people at home during the day to watch TV WHO is it she thinks has been watching HER show all these years, keeping HER ratings up? The SAME people who have been watching the soaps. So, is she saying the ratings for HER show have gone way down too? If she doesn’t want to get involved with it, just state that flat out but please don’t feed us that bull and play into the hands of ABC and Disney! Well, she’ll have her hands full keeping OWN going because I see… Read more »

Oprah has been in business with ABC Daytime for 25 years. Of course she’s going to say what’s necessary to protect ABC. ABC Chicago gave Oprah her own talk show. Look at OWN’s ratings: they’re pathetic. Not one show on OWN can approach the ratings and numbers of viewers that Y&R, GH, or OLTL deliver on a daily basis. I like Oprah but I would have preferred that she just said sorry I can’t help and left it like that instead of carrying water for pals at ABC. The reality is that ABC IS making money on GH just as… Read more »

i can appreciate the fact that oprah can not help BUT i felt like she was also saying to us soap fans to accept the decision that abc made & just shut up about it – she really didn’t seem sympathetic at all towards our feelings for the devastating loss we are experiencing…..

Being a stay at home mom of three, the youngest being 5 months old, with a husband in the Navy who is deployed right now, I have barely had time to sleep, let alone watch tv. But when I do? Its my soaps. And sometimes Oprah, which I will not watch anymore or her OWN network now that I know she is really just more about the bottom line and not actually about happiness and “living your best life”. With the way things are today with the world, it would be nice to tune into something familiar and comforting, even… Read more »

Personally, I have never been a fan of Ms. Winfrey, one who follows her like sheep and reads the books she says you should read and votes for candidates for whom she says you should vote. I’ve always thought she is a self-important ego-maniac, and I’m not saying that just because she won’t save One Life to Live. I love One Life to Live, but I dislike Ms. Winfrey and her personal network equally, so I’m not sure I’d follow any programming to that network anyway. I’m not surprised that this woman refuses to save our shows, as they have… Read more »

Oprah I admire you so much for what you have done. and I see where you are coming from but to sit there and defend them when you know they are wrong I know you got your show from them and you want to be loyal but come on I really thank one of the reasons you don’t to do it is your show you still have time on there and you don’t want to ruffle any feathers . If you look at your other shows on Own all I see is repeats of ABC and the others are not… Read more »

I am sure the ratings for her show have also dropped during the years. Her OWN network is not doing well. Does that mean her time has come and people are not interested in everything that Opie has to say? She can be another Frons; she believes that she can determine what people want. I respect her for what she has achieved over the years, but sometimes that ego can be TOO much!

All that Oprah said made sense (as she sees it, which is the only way she can judge it, and that is perfectly fine), but the main probably I had with the video was that she seemed insincere, and probably did it just as a necessary evil so that her channel is hopefully no longer bombarded with the “save the soaps” requests. Again, I say, what a strong group of supporters we are, to warrant Oprah to address the issue and us. I think the slight glimmer of hope probably remains in addressing the advertisers. If more big names, like… Read more »

Sorry, but I totally disagree with Oprah’s statement about soaps running their course. In today’s economy people can’t afford to remain at home during the day so they have to DVR or TIVO their soaps to watch at another time more suitable to their schedule. Producing soaps is still a viable commodity contrary to what TIIC say. I will no longer give talk, game or cooking shows the time of day anymore. It’s not worth my time or energy.

Oprah is right, if the major networks can’t afford to keep the soaps going, then neither can a cable channel, especially one that is still trying establish itself and find its niche audience such as OWN. Reasons shows like Law and Order: CI made it successfully after being bought by USA, is that USA has credibility, a niche audience, enough programs to lead in, and the show is affordable. Soaps are not that affordable. If you want your soap to be bought by a cable channel, please do not complain later on that they are ruining the soap when the… Read more »

Also, those of you upset that networks are looking at the bottom line, have you forgotten this country is in major financial straits? If they air a show that is not bringing in enough money to cover all the expenses of a show, then not only are you going to have to worry about your show being canceled, but you are also going to have to worry about the entire network disappearing because of bankruptcy.

I am saddened that she came out with this stand especially since these shows may have helped her build her audience. I never thought she would be afraid to try anything that could help so many people keep there jobs. Why not offer the shows 6 months to turn a profit?

Hey Maureen, do you work for ABC/Disney or Oprah? Are you a soap watcher/fan? We are here trying to save what is left of our shows and to support each other. I am sensing such a negative vibe from you. I don’t think we really need that here. Do you have anything positive to add?

I would easily pay $10/month or $120/year to watch OLTL. How many other viewers would be willing? With viewer subscriptions, advertisers, and syndication, the show could survive and make a profit, but right now it needs a genius of a sponsor who could act on and coordinate various possibilities.

Why couldn’t OLTL be on PBS?

Perhaps Oprah feels her network could not accomodate the cancelled soaps in their current form but her creative management, while surely pushed already to program a new network, could indeed have provided a new springboard for a better product and brought a built in audience and advertisers to her daytime schedule. Soaps need not be a five day a week program perhaps. Maybe two or three days a week would suffice. Dallas survived many a season with only one episode a week and that truely was a soap opera. It’s also too bad that ABC sees fit to constantly promote… Read more »

I know that people will be angry with me for saying this, but I agree and understand what Oprah is saying. The soap operas are just too expensive to produce for the amount of money they are able to attract from sponsors because of the low ratings. There may be an audience (and perhaps, there could be more of an audience if the quality on soaps were better), but the reality is that the audience is not big enough anymore to be able to keep the soaps on the air.

This perpetuation of misinformation has got to stop. Oprah is wrong. ABC is wrong. The Nielson system is antiquated and needs to disappear or be updated. There are MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WATCHING ON DVR! Seriously, people, get with the times! The decision to pull the soaps was solely based on GREED! Sure, it costs some dough to operate ANY tv show. But it costs next to nothing to create more vapid reality tv shows and redundant cooking and talk shows. Networks make money on their advertisers. Some of the largest companies in the world advertise on soaps. And guess what?… Read more »

Maureen, you want the truth? Bones recent ratings were 2.2 million viewers. OLTL recent ratings were 2.3 million. AND that’s using the CRAPPY Nielson ratings system. You really need to do some REAL research.

Maureen, The best to you and your viewing habits.

Oprah may have made some valid points but I had to watch this video twice. The first time I walked away and couldn’t get it off my mind. So I watched again. My take. She sounded too rehearsed, and too defensive of ABC’s decision. Could it be the network that broadcasts the Oprah show “asked” her to make this statement in their defense? I hear her network is not doing so well in the ratings. So if AMC pulls in a 1.9 and OLTL pulls a 2.0 she can’t use those added viewers to her network? For a cable network… Read more »

Hey guys, do you think Maureen is really Brian Frons checking in to find out what is being written about him on the websites? HA!

I agree with someone’s earlier post….if the ratings are so bad in daytime then why wouldn’t she pick the shows up and run them in the evening. I am a fan of Oprah, and have tuned into her network, and was not at all impressed. I mean hours and hours of watching “Season 25: Behind the Scenes” is not what I call great program entertainment. I mean right now, I turned on my program guide and she has: The Best of Trading Spaces, Mystery Diagnosis, Say Yes to The Dress, Dr. Phil, Prince William Special, The Judds and more of… Read more »

This video was a big turn off for me, an Oprah “ultimate viewer” since day one of her show’s debut many years ago. The truth is no one can accurately measure the number of people still watching daytime soaps due to the internet, DVR, heck there are probably some VCR recording still going on. The Nielsen Ratings are a joke, using a “sampling of viewers” not even large enough to get a true sense of normal customers viewing. I have been an avid TV viewer since birth (over half a century ago) and lived east coast, west coast and have… Read more »