Oprah's Ratings Hit All-Time Low

Could it be that Americans care more about Judge Judy's rulings on he said/she said landlord disputes than Oprah Winfrey's favorite things? Judging by recent ratings, the answer is a resounding "yes."

According to B&C, the queen of daytime's 24-year reign atop the ratings ladder came to an abrupt end the week ending June 28 when her share fell below the 3.0 mark for the first time ever. And, the scenario grew still dimmer the week ending July 4, when the show fell into the 2 rating-range with an all-time low of 2.9.
Sure, the shows were repeats and there was Wimbledon tennis that pre-empted airings in several markets, but the staggering (and sobering) fact remains that 'Judge Judy' beat all the daytime shows for the 14th time in 16 weeks -- clobbering Oprah by a whopping 38 percent.

While 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' was still the highest rated daytime talk show ('Live with Regis & Kelly,' 'Dr. Oz,' 'Ellen' and 'Dr. Phil' were all down too during the same period), what's prompting people not to tune in?

Could it be that when Winfrey took to the airwaves last November to announce the ending of her show, that her loyal viewership began to check out? "I love this show, this show has been my life -- and I love it enough to know when it's time to say goodbye," Forbes magazine's 'Most Powerful Celebrity' told her studio audience -- and millions of viewers -- at the time, promising that for the remaining 18 months, she intended to produce the best possible shows.

Or, is it that with her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) readying for launch in January, she's had a few things on her mind and maybe the audience can sense it? "I will be involved in every single element of programming," Winfrey has said of the 50-50 venture between her production company Harpo and Discovery Communications. (OWN will replace the flailing Discovery Health channel.)

And while OWN seems poised to bring her successful XM/Sirius radio channel mantra of "Live Your Best Life" to the small screen with fan fave personalities like Dr. Laura Berman and Peter Walsh and a slew of "Take Charge of Your Life" programming, the question now, on the heels of this ratings plummet, becomes if she builds it...will they come?

Will you tune in to OWN when it launches in January?