MANILA, Philippines — In opera circles, there’s a saying that goes, “The show isn’t over until the fat lady sings.” Well, that’s exactly what’s happened in iconic TV host-producer Oprah Winfrey’s long-running show: Last week, she surprised her fans by announcing that, after 25 years on the tube as global TV’s talk show queen, she’s retiring from hosting her weekday talk show in 2011.

The news was not exactly unexpected, since Oprah’s show has been on the TV screen for a really long time. Still, many of Winfrey’s fans were shocked and confessed to worrying that they would be experiencing withdrawal symptoms months before the talk show diva’s eventual retirement.

TV network

Well, not to worry, “Oprah” isn’t shutting up for good, she’s just ending her weekday show. She’ll still be seen—and heard—by way of her celebrity and weekend editions, specials, etc. And, the biggest news of all is that Oprah may be losing a show, but she’ll be gaining an entire TV network of her own!

Oprah’s fame and fortune are richly deserved. She has done spectacularly well, not just for herself, but also for other people of color, opening doors for the younger likes of Tyra Banks.

She’s inspired millions of televiewers to transform themselves into more caring and better people, revived national interest in reading, produced consciousness-raising motion pictures, launched her own magazine and opened a school for girls in Africa, among many other accomplishments.

Battle of the bulge

Now in her 50s, Oprah can’t be blamed for wanting to take a breather from her hectic work schedule—and it must be pointed out that, for some years now, she’s had a lot of trouble fighting the battle of the bulge. So, she must be looking forward to not having to stick to her stringent diet after her daytime show’s 25th season ends next year.

Personally, we’ve learned a lot from Oprah’s seminal show through the years. Most valuable of all to us is her abiding faith in every person’s potential, if not for greatness, then at least for goodness. She also refuses to talk down to her audience to boost her show’s ratings, preferring instead to pull them up to her level of awareness and involvement.

Of late, Oprah has also emerged as a potent espouser of important political causes, as highlighted by her determined and successful support for the presidential bid of Barack Obama.

Oprah was criticized for supporting Obama instead of her “sister,” Hillary Clinton. But, she must have felt that putting the first black person in the White House was more significant, all relevant considerations factored in, than boosting the first female chief executive.

Interestingly, there are some people who feel that Oprah herself could emerge as a national political figure in the near future. But, she’s shot down all such trial balloons, preferring to influence people by way of her many media involvements. When you’re Oprah Winfrey, that’s a huge constituency right there. Who needs the White House when you’re getting your own TV network?