Oprah Winfrey BiographyHome > Entrepreneur Biographys > Oprah Winfrey
Talk Show Host, Actress & Pioneer"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not." - Oprah Winfrey
Full name: Oprah Gail Winfrey At a young age, Winfrey's parents split and she was raised by her grandmother, Hattie Mae, where she began her braodcasting career by learning to read aloud and perform recitations. As a child, her grandmother would hit her when she didn't do chores or if she misbehaved in any way. From the age of 6 to 13, she lived in Milwaukee. After suffering abuse and molestation, she ran away and was sent to a juvenile detention home at the age of 13, only to be denied admission because all the beds were filled. When she was 14, her frustrated mother sent her to live with her father in Nashville, Tennessee Vernon was strict, but encouraging. She was given new clothes, a set of rules, a twelve o'clock curfew, and some tasks; she had to read and do a book report each week, as well as memorise five new words each day. If she hadn't done her tasks she would not be given any food. Oprah recalls her father being very strict, but today she loves him for it. She says he was a big influence in her life. He always wanted Oprah to make the best of her life, and he wouldn't accept anything less than her best. Career and success Winfrey began her media career at the age of 17, when she started work at the local WVOL radio station in Nashville while attending Tennessee State University, where she majored in Speech Communication and Performing Arts. Two years later, she became both the youngest news anchor and the first black female news anchor at Nashvilles WLAC-TV. In 1976, she moved to Baltimore to join WJZ-TV news as a co-anchor, and in 1978 discovered her talent for hosting talk shows when she became co-host of WJZ-TV's "People Are Talking", while continuing to serve as anchor and news reporter. Winfrey's career really began to take off after moving to Chicago in 1983 to host "AM Chicago", an early morning talk show at WLS-TV. The first episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took over, the show went from last place on the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest rated talk show in Chicago. It was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show, expanded to a full hour, and broadcast nationally beginning September 8, 1886, its first show about marrying the right person. The Oprah Winfrey Show went on to become one of the most successful and highest ranked television talk show programs in history. In June of 1987 The Oprah Winfrey Show won three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Host, and Outstanding Talk/Service Program. The following year the show won a Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Talk/Service Program. In 1988 Oprah received the International Radio and Television Society's "Broadcaster of the Year" Award. She is the youngest person and fifth woman to ever receive this award.
The program is viewed by more 20 million Americans (USA) every week and broadcast Internationally to more than one hundred countries worldwide. Oprah bought HARPO productions because she wanted more control over herself, and her lifestyle. Winfrey's business and personal interests are wide ranging and she has managed to accomplish success in several areas. Apart from being a successful talk show host she is also:
Honorary Achievements Her entrepreneurial spirit and desire to change society for the better have brought her and her numerous companies many awards and achievements. 2005
Winfrey's Angel Network has raised more than $51,000,000 for charitable programs, including girls' education in South Africa and relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. 
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