A Biographical Sketch On Oprah Winfrey
A biographical sketch on Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey, born Orpah Gail Winfrey (Harpo productions 2013), a top American talk show host, actress, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, was born on January 29 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi (A +E television networks, 1996). She lived in this small rural community with her mother, and underwent a troubled adolescent life experiencing sexual harassment from close male relatives and family friends. It is after her adolescent troubles that she moved to Nashville to live with her father who was a barber and businessman (A +E television networks, 1996). Oprah whose birth name was related to the biblical Orpah but had to change her name to Oprah because Orpah was too hard to pronounce, began her broadcasting career in her teens while still in high school, and later rose to become the first African American and youngest woman news anchor at WTVF_TV in Nashville (Harpo productions 2013). In the late 70’S, Oprah moved to Baltimore where she hosted people are talking, a TV chat show, that became a hit and stayed there for eight years before being recruited by a Chicago TV station, to host a.m Chicago, her very own morning show, that saw her ratings shoot to number one spot(A+E Television networks, 1996). Winfrey launched the oprah winfrey show in 1986 with placement in over 100 channels and a viewership of around 10 million people, the show easily hit $125 million in its first year(A+E television networks, 1996). The show became the highest rated TV show in history (Harpo productions, 2013) With her philosophy being responsibility for life, and doing the best at this moment to put you in the best place for the next, she has garnered accolades along the way that include, being the most influential woman of her generation, being the greatest black philanthropist in American history according to Business weekly, and the world’s only black billionaire for three years in a row(A+E Television networks, 1996). Oprah, who is
References: A+E Television Networks. (1996). Oprah Winfrey: Biography. Retrieved 15 Oct, 2013 from http://www.biography.com/people/oprah-winfrey-9534419 Harpo productions.(2013). Oprah Winfrey’s Official Biography. Retrieved 15 Oct, 2013 from http://www.oprah.com/pressroom/Oprah-Winfreys-Official-Biography/