The Oprah Winfrey Channel on SiriusXM satellite radio has vanished with no explanation, other than a programming announcement that reads: “This channel is no longer available.”
SiriusXM signed the media mogul and former talk show host to a high-profile deal in 2006, around the same time the company placed shock jock Howard Stern onto its subscription only platform.
“The Oprah Channel,” was originally launched as Oprah and Friends, where Winfrey herself was slated to broadcast a live weekly show in which she would interview with friends and audience members, while the rest of the week would spotlight programming from other people close to her inner circle, such as Gayle King.
Those plans reportedly fell through after Winfrey launched her TV network OWN.
Neither party has made any public statements regarding the channel’s inexplicable absence from the SiriusXM line-up, however Tom Taylor Now has reported that the show’s second contract has expired.
Oprah’s original contract with the company was reportedly worth $18 million over three years, while the second deal is believed to have been for less.