You're reading it here first.
I can now confirm that the 25th and final ''farewell'' season of The Oprah Winfrey Show will start on SABC3 in January 2011. I can also confirm, exactly as I've broken the news before, that SABC3 is resolute to try and show the last episodes - when that goes out in America later next year - at the same time in South Africa as well, if possible.
On Monday I told you RIGHT HERE what SABC3's Oprah dilemma is, and exactly as I said, the new Oprah season will now start in January, despite possible schedule disruptions and preemptions because of the Cricket World Cup. SABC3 needs to start the new season if it wants to cash in on the hype and possible higher viewership while the popular talk show is finishing its final season. SABC3 is even considering dumping the Friday repeat episode of Oprah in order to catch up as quick as possible.
''We're looking at a different strategy now,'' Risuna Mayimele, SABC3's marketing manager tells me when I asked her how the channel is going to try and make South African viewer enjoy the season and get the most of it while the talk show host is still on TV. ''We want to try and speed it up so that when the great and grand finale of Oprah happens in America, it happens in South Africa as well.''
''Certain things regarding this final season of Oprah are going to be topical, so we are going to strip episodes in such a way that we can catch up,'' Risuna Mayimele says.
