Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is on YouTube, and it’s not just clips of Tom Cruise jumping on her couch.
Harpo Prods. has started the Oprah Channel on the viral video site, supplying YouTube-using Oprah fans with backstage and preview material for “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Winfrey will interview YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen on the show on Tuesday, when she will also feature appearances by characters from popular viral videos, including a skateboarding dog.
The YouTube site already features a number of videos, including an introduction by Winfrey and a series of outtakes, with jokey crew interviews. Harpo prexy Tim Bennett said the channel would provide “another platform online for people to communicate with us.” YouTube channels can host user comments on the posted videos, though the Oprah site has chosen to monitor this feature closely.
Winfrey will “guest edit” the YouTube page and will post videos of her choice on the homepage at Youtube.com/oprah starting today.
Contact Sam Thielman at
sam.thielman@variety.com