There’s a big shake-up in daytime television on the way. After 25 years on the air, The Oprah Winfrey Show is coming to an end.
While viewers may be a bit stunned by the news, it doesn’t come as a big surprise to the local TV stations who air the show in first-run syndication. Though ratings have fallen in recent years, hitting an all-time low last June, it remains the most popular show in daytime and helps attract viewers to local newscasts. This season’s episodes have been averaging a 3.0 rating in the key demo and about 7.3 million viewers daily.
Winfrey’s decision to end her daytime talk show is sure to shake up the local affiliate markets. Those who currently carry the series will have to figure out how to best fill the time. For rival stations, they’ll have a key opportunity to lure viewers who’d previously been devoted to watching the Winfrey Show.








