Oprah Product Placement – Not As Powerful As It Used To Be

Discovery Communications, the partner with Oprah Winfrey for a new cable network has to be wondering if now is the best time to be starting a new network — especially if your figurehead is suffering from some downward momentum.  Oprah’s "favorable" rating has fallen 8 points to 66%, shortly after she announced her support of Barack Obama.  Discovery and Oprah are jointly creating "OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network", and will carrry ‘empowering programming’. 

In Hollywood, where you’re only as powerful as your last film or TV show, one has to wonder if Oprah’s endorsement is all if used to be – look at Oprah’s recent numbers as reported in today’s New York Times:
 

• 7 % Ratings Drop:  The Oprah Winfrey Show ratings down 7 percent in 2008 (Nielsen Media Research).  This is the 3rd year in a row for a decline – in 2004/2005, her show peaked with 9 million viewers and declined to 7.8 million last year.  She is now averaging 7.3 million.
• Oprah’s Big Give Not Coming Back:  Premiere week was a star, but lost 1/3 of its audience.  According to Nielsen, the first episode attracted almost 16 million viewers, but averaged only 11 million over 8 weeks.  The show finished 32nd in total audience size and will not be renewed.
• O Magazine Numbers Down:  Circulation down more than 10 % (ABC), and Amy Gross, the editor in chief since 2000 has announced she is leaving.
• Barack Obama Endorsment:  Resulted in angry criticism on her own message boards.