XM to Launch Oprah and Friends Radio

[Scott Greczkowski]

'Oprah & Friends' Exclusive Radio Channel to Launch On XM Satellite Radio​

New Channel to Feature Diverse Daily Programming from Popular 'Oprah' Personalities as well as Original Weekly Reality Radio Program with Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King​

WASHINGTON and CHICAGO, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harpo Radio, Inc. and XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading satellite radio company with more than 6 million subscribers, today announced an exclusive, three-year agreement to launch "Oprah & Friends," a satellite radio channel on XM. "Oprah & Friends" will debut in September 2006 and will feature a broad range of original programming from Harpo Radio, Inc., including regular segments hosted by popular personalities from "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and O, The Oprah Magazine and an exclusive original weekly reality radio show with Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King. The channel will be broadcast from a new
state-of-the-art XM studio at Harpo Studios in Chicago.

The "Oprah & Friends" channel will feature original daily programming on a variety of topics including nutrition, fitness, health, self improvement, home, and current events from popular "Oprah" personalities, including Bob Greene, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Robin Smith, Marianne Williamson, Nate Berkus, and Gayle King.

"Together with my friends, we look forward to creating programming that will entertain, inform and inspire our listening audience on XM," said Oprah Winfrey.

"Oprah Winfrey is a prolific force in our culture whose unprecedented achievements in television, film, publishing and philanthropy will bring an amazing radio experience to the XM nation of subscribers. We are proud to welcome Oprah and her talented team to the XM family," said Hugh Panero, President and Chief Executive Officer, XM Satellite Radio. "'Oprah & Friends' is a testament to XM's unwavering commitment to provide our diverse subscriber base with the kind of smart, high-quality programming that makes a difference in their lives."

"Today's announcement with XM marks an exciting new chapter in the evolution of Harpo's media portfolio," said Tim Bennett, President, Harpo Productions, Inc. "'Oprah & Friends' will not only complement our existing television, print, film, cable and online properties but will provide new opportunities to extend our brand to XM's millions of listeners."

About Harpo

Harpo Productions, Inc. produces the number one rated, award-winning "The Oprah Winfrey Show," creates and develops original TV programming, and operates Oprah.com, a premier women's lifestyle website. Harpo Print, LLC and Hearst Magazines publish the monthly O, The Oprah Magazine and quarterly O at Home publications. Harpo Films, Inc. produces feature films as well as
top-rated telefilms under the "Oprah Winfrey Presents" banner. Harpo, Inc. produces the original cable series "Oprah After the Show," which airs on the Oxygen Network. Harpo Radio, Inc. will produce the content for "Oprah & Friends" on XM Satellite Radio, which will debut in September 2006.

About XM Satellite Radio
XM (Nasdaq: XMSR) is America's number one satellite radio company with more than 6 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM's 2006 lineup includes 160 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: the most commercial-free music, premier sports, talk, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.
XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen/Audi, is available in more than 130 different vehicle models for 2006. XM's industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com .

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements in this press release include demand for XM Satellite Radio's service, the Company's dependence on technology and third party vendors, its potential need for additional financing, as well as other risks described in XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.'s Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 11-7-05. Copies of the filing are available upon request from XM Radio's Investor Relations Department.

SOURCE XM Satellite Radio

 

[korsjs]

sirius should be worried. this will draw alot of the women to xm. stern said the only other person that could have made as big as an impact as he did is oprah. personally, i can't stand her.

 

[joedekock]

sirius should be worried. this will draw alot of the women to xm. stern said the only other person that could have made as big as an impact as he did is oprah. personally, i can't stand her.

I can't stand her either. But XM is doing the right thing by bringing her aboard. Women love her so this is a good tool for XM, just like Stern is a good asset to Sirius.

 

[minorthr]

I'd like to know the financials of this deal to see owe it compares to the Stewart deal with Sirius.

EDIT: CNBC is reporting 3 years $55 mill so about 18 mill a year.

 

[Weezknight]

Looks like there's a big difference here, though. Oprah is doing 1 weekly show, whereas Stern is on almost every single day.

If this station puts more emphasis on her "friends," than I think this may not be as big as it could be. Of course it may not have been that cheap to put her on everyday either.

In the end it's a good move for XM. They had to do something.

 

[BFG]

This is nothing.

I loved how howard totally ripped her and Ellen a new one today on his show. He was great and everything he said is totally correct.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It will be fun to hear Gayle King on the radio. She use to live down the street from me. (And when I was younger I use to work at a convience store and she would come in everyday and buy her cup of coffee from me)

 

[elephant98]

My mother-in-law is doing backflips after hearing this news.

I don't think some people realize what a large influence Oprah has on middle aged women. She recommends a book and it becomes a mega-best seller. She brings some relationship hack on her t.v. show (Dr. Phil) and the guy becomes a superstar himself. The same goes for any other number of her annointed "friends." Anything with her name on it has been a success so far, from her book club, to her magazine, to the O cable channel. I don't see why this channel won't also succeed, even if Oprah only does one show a week.

Add in the other female oriented channel, Take 5, and XM is certainly making a very aggressive push to attract the female audience.

 

[joedekock]

My mother-in-law is doing backflips after hearing this news.

I don't think some people realize what a large influence Oprah has on middle aged women. She recommends a book and it becomes a mega-best seller. She brings some relationship hack on her t.v. show (Dr. Phil) and the guy becomes a superstar himself. The same goes for any other number of her annointed "friends." Anything with her name on it has been a success so far, from her book club, to her magazine, to the O cable channel. I don't see why this channel won't also succeed, even if Oprah only does one show a week.

Add in the other female oriented channel, Take 5, and XM is certainly making a very aggressive push to attract the female audience.

I does seem that everything Oprah touches turns to Gold. I'm only 25 and my wife and I don't get the big deal with Oprah. However, at a family get together, our mother's, aunt's or grandmother's can't go a whole gathering without bringing up one of the shows Oprah has done since the last time they met.

Maybe you have to be in the upper middle class, female, and live off of your husband to get Oprah. Because that's the only people that are home during the time her show is on, and those are the only one's I see that like her so much.

(This is not a complaint, just an observation)

 

[elephant98]

I does seem that everything Oprah touches turns to Gold. I'm only 25 and my wife and I don't get the big deal with Oprah. However, at a family get together, our mother's, aunt's or grandmother's can't go a whole gathering without bringing up one of the shows Oprah has done since the last time they met.

Maybe you have to be in the upper middle class, female, and live off of your husband to get Oprah. Because that's the only people that are home during the time her show is on, and those are the only one's I see that like her so much.

(This is not a complaint, just an observation)

I hear ya. Its like a religion to them. In my mother-in-law's case, she doesn't watch it live. She watches when she gets home from work on her Tivo (which I got for her last year at Xmas). Am I a great son-in-law or what!

 

[minorthr]

This is nothing.

I loved how howard totally ripped her and Ellen a new one today on his show. He was great and everything he said is totally correct.

I missed that, but isnt this the same howard who months ago said the only other person who could have as big an impact on Sat radio as him was Oprah.

 

[BFG]

He did? well I didn't hear that.

But I can clear that up from listening to what he said today.

He said the reason this will be no big deal is because Oprah will hardly ever actually be on the channel and she will bring nothing exclusive to XM.

I bet the comment you said he made months ago was valid if she would actually commit to her own radio show as much as Howard

 

[HCI]

I bet the comment you said he made months ago was valid if she would actually commit to her own radio show as much as Howard

Has Howard shared with you guys that he will only be working 4 days a week and 9 months a year? Good deal for him but I don't believe you can make a statement like that.

 

[BFG]

Yeah the Friday show started last week.

But I don't think that will last every friday. I think Howard enjoys doing his Sirius show too much to take every Friday off. Heck the first Friday show they did howard was on the phone for over an hour.

 

[HCI]

It is a eventually going to be a permanent thing are the rumors I have heard.

Like I said good for him if I could get away with it I would too.:devil:

 

[zombie]

I hear ya. Its like a religion to them.

More like a cult of mindless followers. Wonder when she'll tell them all to put on black shoes and drink the koolaide.

 

[Chado]

$55 Mil for 30 min a week for 39 weeks a year for 3 years?? What a gig!!

I think there is gonna be a subscription spike for XM, but it won't last. Once they find out that Oprah won't be on the channel that much, the subs will fade. But it gives XM the ability to showcase their other offerings to these new subs which may allow them to keep more than what they will just for this channel.

 

[joedekock]

I hear ya. Its like a religion to them. In my mother-in-law's case, she doesn't watch it live. She watches when she gets home from work on her Tivo (which I got for her last year at Xmas). Am I a great son-in-law or what!

Were in the same boat... I got my parent's and in-law's the R15 for Christmas this year. Now my mother and ma-in-law can hold more episodes of Oprah and Dr. Phil than they could with the Hughe's Tivo unit. She loved me for that one. :up

 

[joedekock]

More like a cult of mindless followers. Wonder when she'll tell them all to put on black shoes and drink the koolaide.

:haha :haha :haha :haha :haha :haha :haha :haha

 

[Sarang]

For all the people saying this isn't big do consider my mom only WANTED the Oxygen channel for Oprah's show and that's only on Fridays and replayed next Sunday so the one time thing might not be a complete bust however I've heard Oxygen isn't as big in ratings as Lifetime is but I like the idea of them trying to showcase assertive females with their "Total Assertive Female" thing in the daytime. It's a good pull especially considering what I hear about Lifetime's movies that some women want.
This may end up a bit of a mixed bag. I'm going to go with Chado here. Now if the show turned daily women would be interested, also if they broadcast the audio feed of the TV show I'm sure that would be a boon to them as well.