How Roger Ebert gave Oprah Winfrey her start…


“At about this time, Oprah and I went out on a date. Well, actually two dates, but the one that made history began when we went to the movies. Afterward, we went to the Hamburger Hamlet for dinner, my treat.


“I don’t know what to do,” she told me. “The ABC stations want to syndicate my show. So does King World. The problem with syndication is that if your show isn’t successful, you’re off the air in three months. The ABC stations own themselves, so they can keep you on. Which way do you think I should go?”


I took a napkin and a ballpoint pen, and made some simple calculations.


Line 1: How much I made in a year for doing a syndicated television show.


Line 2: Times 2, because Siskel made the same.


Line 3: Times 2, because Oprah would be on for an hour, instead of half an hour.


Line 4: Times 5, because she would be on five days a week.


Line 5: Times 2, because her ratings would be at least twice as big as “Siskel & Ebert.”


I pushed the napkin across the table. Oprah studied it for 10 seconds.


“Rog, I’m going with King World,” she said.

http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/how-i-gave-oprah-her-start