OPRAH VISITS WFAA
DALLAS - Oprah Winfrey drew crowds at both the State Fair of Texas and WFAA's Victory Park Studio Monday.
People began lining up at 4 a.m. to watch Winfrey's taping at the fair, which attracted about 4,000 people according to the show's spokesman Don Halcombe. With rain drizzling down on the packed fans, some were taken away on stretchers to the hospital due to exhaustion.
It's been nearly a quarter of a century of national television for Winfrey, whose career has had virtually no downtime.
And it has been a while since Winfrey visited WFAA-TV. The last time was in 1986, which was a somewhat low profile visit to promote her relatively new program offering a different kind of talk.
"And I said if I had a million dollars, I would be a spending fool," she said in the '86 interview. "I would lose my mind."
These days, it's hard to use the name "Oprah" and the phrase "low profile" in the same sentence.
Crowds gathered long before she got to the studio and left long after she was gone.
Tosha Ridgeway, a Rockwall High school teacher, was among the fans hoping to get a glimpse of Winfrey. In hand, she had a hall pass with cutout images of Winfrey.
"I've had it for about 23 years now," she said. "My students made it for me and they have to take her to go to the restroom, to the library, all that stuff."
It has been 24 successful years for Winfrey.
"These have been some absolutely glory years for me, being able to do this show," she said.
The talk show host said once she began realizing how big the show was becoming, she also became aware of a responsibility.
"Around the nineties, I began to realize that it was more than just talking on television and I wanted to be able to use this arena I've been given to say something meaningful," Winfrey said.
It's a formula she has stuck to ever since. And it's not a secret that Oprah makes sure her viewers walk away from each show with something.
"When you're going to be speaking to people, you better be worthy of their time," she said.
In return, loyal viewers have showered her with affection, which she said she appreciates. But, that fame has come at a cost. Gifts, story ideas and show proposals - even from well-meaning people - can all pose a potential danger.
"Even if somebody hands me something, we will either send it back to them if it turns out to be a script or music or something that you want me to look at for your benefit because you end up being sued," she said.
Monday, a former employee filed suit claiming improper termination.
But, on "News 8 at Five," Winfrey showed she can handle anything in stride after a little heckling with a one-on-one with Dale Hansen.
"But, would you like to take this opportunity to apologize to America for introducing us to Dr. Phil?" he said. "No, seriously, I think I speak for all of us in Texas."
"Aren't you proud of your boy from Texas?" she asked Hansen.
"No, and by the way, because I know you're too nice a woman to ask this, this is my real hair," he responded.
"It is?" Winfrey said. "I thought you had a few extensions up there."
But, Hansen was sure to end the banter on a positive note.
"My wife is so excited that I get to talk to Oprah," he told her. "Twenty-nine years and this is my biggest highlight of my life, according to her."
