Oprah's Decision to End Show Not a Big Surprise, UB Pop Culture Expert Says

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Today's anticipated announcement that Oprah Winfrey will end her award-winning show in 2011 marks the end of an era in television, but don't expect her influence to wane, says Elayne Rapping, a nationally known media critic and analyst.

Instead, look for the talk-show icon to reinvent herself again, says Rapping, professor of American studies at the University at Buffalo.

"I think her influence is amazing in a way because as times change she just gets bigger and more trend setting," says Rapping, a pop culture expert who has followed Winfrey throughout her career.

"I started writing about talk shows in the 1980s, when they were huge for focusing on social issues -- before cable hit. Oprah was on the ground floor then, presenting herself as a spokesperson for things like being black, overweight, a rape victim, even working class -- and she was a sensation.

"Those days are gone and talk shows of that kind have disappeared, but Oprah has managed to become even bigger by shifting to self help/spiritualist issues as times and attitudes have changed. She has her finger on the pulse of what is happening media-wise and it's not surprising that with the rise of so much cable she is switching again."

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.