Oprah Winfrey - The Story of an Entrepreneur

Oprah's 'Rags to Riches' Journey Contd...

Oprah organized and directed a series of presentations (especially on God's Trombones written by James Weldon Johnson) at various local churches. Oprah used these presentations to raise funds to buy new robes for the youth choir of her church. She actively participated in Sunday church activities and spoke frequently in church. She also worked hard at her studies and, as a result, won scholarship to attend Tennessee State University, where she specialized in Speech Communications and Performing Arts. In 1971, at the age of 17, Oprah got her first broadcasting job. She worked as a part-time radio announcer for WVOL Radio Station (targeting mainly African Americans) in Nashville. In 1972, she won the 'Miss Black' Tennessee title.

In 1973, after graduating from Tennessee State University, she joined WTVF-TV in Nashville as a reporter. In 1976, she joined WJZ-TV, a major affiliate of ABC,⁴ in Baltimore, as a news anchor. She worked in WJZ-TV until 1983. During her tenure at WJZ-TV she got a chance to host a talk show.⁵

She was the co-host for 'People Are Talking,' a popular talk show in those days. In 1984, Oprah moved to WLS-TV Chicago (an affiliate of ABC) to host a local TV talk show, 'A.M. Chicago.'

Oprah deviated from the general talk-show format, referred to as 'report-talk.' She introduced a new format, referred to as 'rapport-talk,' which involved back and forth conversation between the host and the audience.

Oprah's show became an instant hit with women, mostly in the 30-50 age group. According to analysts, Oprah's show was a success because the conversational mode formed the basis of 'female bonding.' Many of the people in her audience felt that Oprah had made the talk show more personal and confessional. By the end of the year, the talk show became very successful.

Oprah Winfrey - The Story of an Entrepreneur - Next Page >>>

4] ABC, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Company, is one of the leading broadcasting companies in the US. It broadcasts through a network of more than 230 affiliate stations across the US. It also owns over 60 radio stations and 10 TV stations in all the major markets of the country.

5] A talk show is an interactive session between two or more people. Such shows generally involve interaction between a host, guest(s) and the audience.

Case Details

Case Code : LDEN006
Themes: Corporate Social Responsibility/Woman Entrepreneurs
Case Length : 14 Pages
Period : 1957-2000
Organization : Infosys
Pub Date : 2002
Teaching Note : Not Available
Countries : Japan
Industry : Media and Entertainment

Free Case Studies

Business Strategy
Finance
HRM
Insurance
IT and Systems
Marketing
Operations
Leadership
More Case Studies >>

Micro Case Studies

Business Environment
Business Ethics
Business Strategy
Human Resource Management
IT and Systems
Marketing
Operations
Micro Case Studies >>

Free Resources

Micro Case Studies
Free Case Studies
Articles
Interviews
Book Reviews
Glossary
Online Quiz
More Free Resources >>

Case Related Links

Best Selling Case Studies
Business Case Studies
Learning With Case Studies
Cases Used in Textbooks
Prize Winning Case Studies
More Case Studies >>

Case Studies and Management Resources