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| Oprah Winfrey captures the number-one
position. |
As we've done at the end of each year since 1993, the Harris Poll(R)
has asked U.S. adults to name their favorite TV personalities. For the fifth consecutive
year, Oprah Winfrey captures the number-one position.
In the 12 years that Harris Interactive has conducted this survey,
Oprah has always been one of the top-three favorites. In fact, this is the
seventh time she has been number one; in addition to this year, she topped
the list in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 960 U.S. adults
surveyed online between December 8 and 14, 2005 by Harris Interactive.
Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey was reared by her grandmother on a
farm where she "began her broadcasting career" by learning to read aloud
and perform recitations at the age of three.
From age six to 13, she lived in Milwaukee with her
mother. 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.
As a last resort, she was sent to Nashville to live under her
father's strict discipline. Vernon Winfrey saw to it that his daughter met
a midnight curfew, and he required her to read a book and write a book
report each week. "As strict as he was," says Oprah, "he had some concerns
about me making the best of my life, and would not accept anything less
than what he thought was my best."
Oprah Winfrey's broadcasting career began at age 17, when she was hired
by WVOL radio in Nashville, and two years later signed on with WTVF-TV in
Nashville as a reporter/anchor. She attended Tennessee State University,
where she majored in Speech Communications and Performing Arts.
In January 1984, she came to Chicago to host WLS-TV's "AM Chicago," a
faltering local talk show. In less than a year, she turned "AM Chicago"
into the hottest show in town. The format was soon expanded to one hour,
and in September 1985 it was renamed "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Before America fell in love with Oprah Winfrey the talk show host, she
captured the nation's attention with her poignant portrayal of Sofia in
Steven Spielberg's 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker's novel,
The Color Purple.
Winfrey's performance earned her nominations for an Oscar and Golden Globe
Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress. Critics again lauded her
performance in Native
Son , a movie adaptation of Richard Wright's classic
1940 novel.
Oprah Winfrey was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of the
20th Century by Time Magazine, and in 1998 received a Lifetime Achievement
Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Her
influence extended to the publishing industry when she began an on-air
book club. Oprah Book Club selections became instant bestsellers, and in
1999 she was presented with the National Book Foundation's 50th
anniversary gold medal for her service to books and authors.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2006-02-08 12:49
