What We LOVE About Oprah Winfrey: The First 10 Years

TheYBF.com is celebrating 25 years of The Oprah Winfrey Show in our homes and hearts by taking a look back at her first 10 years in the biz.

The Oprah Winfrey Show is more than a talk show.  Through her teachings and the examples she set, Oprah's show became a movement.  A way of life.  Each show set out to teach us something about ourselves, our purpose and our place.
Who could forget the 1987 townhall meeting she held about the AIDS epidemic.  For many people, it was the first time they heard an open conversation about the illness and Oprah cleared up many untruths associated with the disease.
Or the time she wheeled out a wagon full of 67lbs of meat to symbolize what she had to lose to get in her size 10 jeans.  She let us in on her weight struggles and other demons that haunted her.
And the time she went to LA in 1991 after the LA Riots.  Her discussion about the LAPD and race relations in this country was an eye-opener to many.
Her first ten years on the air, she changed the way many people viewed themselves, others and African Americans at large.  She taught us that God could dream a bigger dream for us, than we could dream for ourselves.
But how did it begin?
Looking back on it, Dennis Swanson, who's now president of station operations for Fox Television Stations, says he discovered Oprah in August of 1983 while looking for a new host for "A.M. Chicago" who could draw in female viewers and compete with Phil Donahue. 
After watching her audition tape he said,

"I thought to myself, 'Wow, this is an exceptional talent.' (She) was exactly what you would look for. She was informed, spontaneous, comfortable. Able to ask questions easily and readily. Made the guests feel comfortable. And I just thought, 'This person is just a natural television performer, and there's no way we can miss with her...."

He hired Oprah and within one month, "AM Chicago" went from last place to winning February sweeps only one month after her debut.  And the rest is history....