On This Day: September 8, 1986 — Oprah Goes National and Daytime TV Changes Forever
On September 8, 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show made its national television debut, airing in 138 markets across the United States and reaching 92 percent of American TV households. Winfrey became the first Black woman to own and host a nationally syndicated talk show — and within a single season, she had displaced Phil Donahue…