Follow Zap2it:
Oprah's Harpo Studios plans mass lay off of Chicago employees
On the heels of reports that the "The Oprah Winfrey Show's" final episode raked in 16.4 million viewers, its highest ratings since 1993, we now know how Oprah Winfrey's studio plans to thank "the best team in TV": By laying off as many as a third of its employees over the next few months.
Crain's Chicago Business reports that Harpo Studios, Inc. filed a notice in early-May alerting the Illinois Department of Employment Security that it would be laying off at least one-third of its current 400 full and part-time employees, though the company didn't specify the exact number of jobs it plans to eliminate.
"Employees are being notified on a departmental basis whether their jobs will be eliminated," a Harpo spokeswoman says. "Most of those leaving us are doing so voluntarily to pursue other interests."
About 50 employees decided to relocate with Oprah to the L.A. offices for OWN, leaving about 400 behind. But, we remember Oprah saying that the rest of the employees would remain in Chicago working on new shows, including Rosie O'Donnell's new talk show for OWN.
Even Harpo Co-president Erik Logan told the newspaper in December "that he expected employees to remain at work after Ms. Winfrey's show ended at the end of May. He said they would move to shows on the Oprah Winfrey Network."
Though, according to the spokeswoman, the layoff process began on May 25. "All employees were made aware of this rightsizing months ago," the spokesperson says.
"Rightsizing"? You've got to love corporate semantics.
Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest news and buzz
Photo/Video credit: Getty Images
Related pics
Zap2it Elite Sheet Must Reads from the Web's In-Crowd
Our Partners
Is it against Zap2it policy to just report (though I doubt Zap2it does much in the way of first-hand news gathering) something without putting some sort of spin on it? Do you enjoy alienating your readers?
I can't see anything objectionable in the article, unless you refuse to allow any criticism of the Great Oprah. I'm been over Oprah for at least the last 10 years or more. More, I think. She "preaches" truth, so she should live it. If she said she wouldn't lay off employees, and then lays off a bunch, a decent explanation is at least required.
I think their unemployment checks will be huge.
I agree with Fran -- I would have been "alienated" if zap2it had chosen NOT to point out the contradictions between what Oprah says to her adoring public and what she does behind-the-scenes.
Yeah but it's TRUE. She SAID on the air that the staff wasn't going to be layed off but would be transferred to working at OWN. It's fishy and typical.
I wondered what was going to happen to the employees at Harpo.
So she let go the non managerial ones, and kept the managers on, and supervisors. WOW, what a piece of work she is. She still owns Harpo. So she took the 50 that where her producer, and directors. and craped on the rest.
What a piece of work she is.